A Slip in Time
by AngstyCanadianGleek
Summary: Before Harry goes to Hogwarts, he finds a time turner and accidentally travels to 1972 and finds himself stuck there. How will Harry manage in a time before he was born? What will happen when Harry befriends Severus Snape and gets sorted into Slytherin? Will Harry change history for the better or will he make things worse? Or will he rewrite history completely? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Eleven-year-old Harry Potter was a wizard... That was still such a strange concept for him because he only just found out a few days ago and despite having gone and picked up his supplies for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he still couldn't believe it. Actually, he could _believe_ it but he didn't want to get too attached to the idea of getting away from the Dursleys only to have the universe come up with a way to stick him right back with them.

Of course, Harry was relieved that the Dursleys had been leaving him alone and no longer treating him like his sole purpose in life was to wait on them hand and foot. But it was a bit odd how they were treating Harry; it was like he didn't exist.

They only spoke to him when the absolutely had to and even then it was quick two-three word sentences. This usually only happened when Harry was in the way or if they were going to feed him. They had been feeding him more recently because they were worried the 'freaks' were monitoring them after they had to send Hagrid to deliver Harry's letter to him. They had stopped yelling at him and beating him for the littlest things. But for the most part, Harry did what he wanted and stayed out of the Dursleys path.

Harry was presently in the backyard, digging as a path of mud and watching Dudley and his friends argue back and forth with each other. Dudley had been given instructions to not pick on Harry in case he cast a spell on him. If Harry even knew how to cast a spell on _anyone_ he would have done so already, but Harry decided for his own sake not to tell his relatives this. He was enjoying the peace way too much.

Harry was just getting ready to go back into the house when he spotted what looked like a gold chain. When Harry looked at the chain, he thought it was really nice. The pendant was fascinating, it was a series of circles around what appeared to be an hour glass.

Harry was completely fascinated by the necklace but he wondered who had lost it because it looked rather expensive. Harry decided he would make a poster and put it up so whoever owned it could claim it. But he wouldn't put a picture because the genuine owner should know what it looks like, that way he could make sure it went to the right person.

Harry went upstairs to his room and quickly scribbled out a few posters, by the time he was finished, it was after dark. It would be a good idea to wait until tomorrow to put the posters out.

Harry brought the chain out from his pocket and began staring at it. Harry threw the chain around his neck and looked at the pendant a little more thoroughly. Its rings looked like they could be moved and when Harry started spinning it, he found his young mind captivated by the motion. Soon Harry was spinning the pendant and letting his mind drift to everything he wanted to learn at Hogwarts; potions, charms and transfiguration. It was going to be brilliant. Harry had already read through his textbooks and couldn't wait to actually put what he'd learned to practice.

The best part was, everyone was going to be like _him._ They wouldn't call him a freak, they wouldn't beat him and they might actually want to be his friends now that he wouldn't have Dudley around to chase away potential friends. This was going to be amazing. Harry looked over at Hedwig, his new beautiful owl, and smiled at all of the possibilities for the following years to come.

It was a little past midnight when a loud crash downstairs startled Harry away from his thought. The little pendant fell from his hand and to Harry's surprise, it started spinning in the opposite direction Harry had been turning it. Harry found the room was suddenly spinning and Harry himself was getting dizzier and dizzier by the second. Harry felt like he was being ripped in half and the feeling only intensified as he began hoping he could be anywhere but where he was right then. The last thing Harry heard before he passed out completely was a loud crack and himself screaming.

* * *

Twelve-year-old Severus Snape sat on his front steps and wondered if his father was going to come home today. Severus hoped that he wouldn't come home, they were better off without him. He was an abusive jerk and all Severus hoped was that he stayed away as long as possible.

Severus watched the neighbourhood kids running around; Severus missed Hogwarts. At least he didn't have to hide who he was anymore at home since his father wasn't constantly breathing down his neck. His mother was happier now without him around. There were fewer expenses for them to worry about without so many muggle objects running. The objects they had grown accustomed to were now running off of magic. That was pretty much only the fridge and the ceiling lights.

Severus was just about to go inside and help his mum with lunch when a loud crack from the front of his lawn caught his attention. Severus knew that was the sound of someone apparating but what he hadn't expected to see was a kid who looked around nine or ten being sick on his lawn.

"MOM!" Severus screamed rushing over to help the kid. When he got over to him, he couldn't help but notice how much the child looked like James Potter. The only difference was the child was smaller, thinner and younger. This child also looked scared out of his mind. Severus wouldn't be surprised if the child started crying for his mummy when he was done being sick.

Severus' mother ran out to the front lawn, not used to hearing her son screaming for her like that. She knew something was wrong and upon spotting the ill child, she went into mother mode.

"Mum, he apparated here! I think it was accidental magic!" Severus cried, watching as his mother began rubbing the child's back. Eventually, she helped the boy stand and used a quick spell to get rid of the mess on the lawn.

"Sev, get the door and go get a glass of fizzy water," Severus' mum said as she helped the boy into the house. Severus nervously went into the kitchen and did as he was told, by the time he was done, the boy was looking around the room like he was trying to figure out where he was or how he even got here.

"Who are you?" boy asked as he accepted the glass of fizzy water from Severus and began slowly sipping to calm his stomach.

"I'm Eileen and this is my son Severus. What's your name and where are you from?" Severus admired his mum for being able to handle this situation so calmly while he was panicking. He wondered if the was a joke on James Potter's behalf but the kid seemed far too freaked out for that to be plausible.

"I'm Harry Potter, I'm from Surrey," Harry said, clutching a chain nervously. Severus' mum noticed what the boy was holding and she seemed to grow several shades paler.

"Where did you get that time turner?"

"Time turner? What's that?" Harry asked, clearly confused.

"That around your neck. It's a time turner... Do you know what day it is today?" Severus watched the exchange with curiosity. A time turner? Who lets a kid play with a time turner?

"It's August 20th, 1991," Harry said, looking at Severus with confusion.

"Severus, can you stay here with Harry while I go to the library for a minute? I'll be right back and we can get you boys a snack, once we know Harry's stomach has settled from his journey," Severus' mum said, walking out of the room, displaying apprehension for the first time since Harry arrived. Severus wasn't sure what was going on but he listened to his mother and sat down quietly beside the boy from 1991.

"Do you know about Hogwarts?" Severus asked, knowing the boy most likely wasn't a muggle. "I'm in my second year."

"Yes, I just got my letter. Well, my uncle tried to keep me from getting it but eventually they sent someone out and they gave me my letter," Harry said, but slowly started to turn pink. "You should have seen my uncle's face when he showed up."

"Your uncle didn't want you to get your letter? That's crazy! What's wrong with him?" Severus asked quietly.

"He's scared of magic. Tried to beat it out of me but clearly, it didn't work. My aunt Petunia..."

"Petunia? As in Petunia Evens?" Severus asked, suddenly recognising a name; his scowl was enough to tell Harry that he knew his aunt.

"Yeah, that's my aunt's maiden name. Her name is Dursley now," Harry said and Severus rolled his eyes but then he realised something.

"Why would they have a say in your letter? Where are your parents?" Severus asked. The boy's grief-stricken expression was enough to give Severus a rough idea but Harry still answered.

"They died when I was a baby and I was left to live with my mum's sister and her husband," Harry told Severus who was slowly putting the pieces together.

"Your mum asked me what day it was? But the look on her face when I told her... I'm not in 1991 anymore, am I?" Harry asked slowly, already knowing the answer to his question. But he really wanted to know where exactly he was.

"No, it's not. It's August 25, 1972," Severus said, slowly but was surprised when the boy didn't freak out. His eyes merely widened slightly but Severus could see that the boy was sitting there, trying to figure out what to say or do next.

"I won't even be born for 8 more years. But you guys can send me back, right?" Harry asked, causing Severus to simply shrug.

"I'm not going to say yes but I think we should be able to," Severus said slowly. "I'm sure my mum went to go look it up now. Would you like a snack?"

Harry nodded, realising how hungry he was after having thrown up everything he'd eaten earlier. Severus stood up and indicated for Harry to follow him into the kitchen. Harry sat down trying to figure out where he heard the name Severus before. When Harry did remember, he eyed the boy carefully.

"Is your last name Snape?" Harry asked him, watching as the boy slowly nodded.

"Hagrid mentioned your name, said you were the potions master at Hogwarts," Harry to Severus, causing him to beam happily at the idea. Severus seemed to stand a little straighter upon hearing his future title.

"Really! That's awesome! Do you know anything else?" Severus asked, beaming proudly.

"Sorry, no. I only met Hagrid once and he only mentioned your name when we picked up the books from your class," Harry told him. "He was saying how particular you are about your ingredients and I understand why. It's a dangerous subject and you're apparently the only potions master to never have a student die under your instruction."

Severus smiled at that statistic and beamed even prouder. He approached the table Harry was sitting at with a plate of cookies and a couple glasses of milk.

"Mum'll be making supper soon but here is a snack that should help," Severus told Harry who took a cookie and one of the glasses. "What house do you think you'll be in?"

"I don't know, I only heard about one house and that's Slytherin. What are the other houses?"

Severus didn't get the chance to answer Harry's question because that was when his mum returned to the kitchen looking grave. Harry felt his stomach hit the floor; this wasn't good. Severus figured it out as well because his expression filled with concern.

"Everything okay, mum?"

"Well, I looked in my notes about time turners and it turns out they are for one-way time travel only. It's why it's only recommended to travel a few hours back at the most, so when you catch back up to your own time, it appears more natural. We also don't have any spells or devices that can send you forward into the future. Probably because something like that would be abused," Severus' mum explained sadly.

"So, I'm stuck here? But I'm supposed to go to Hogwarts. Where will I stay? My parents are alive but they probably are really young still; they might have a bit of trouble accepting their eleven-year-old son," Harry said, trying to imagine the looks on their faces as they slammed their doors in his face.

"I'm sure we can arrange something here and we have more than enough room for you to stay here until we can work something out. I've contacted Hogwarts and Headmaster Dumbledore will probably get back to me within a day or two. For now, Severus, can you show Harry to a guest bedroom?"

Severus stood up and guided Harry up a flight of stairs and towards a bedroom. Harry did his best to mask how nervous he was but was having a hard time because he was so confused.

"Don't worry, Harry. I'm sure everything will be fine," Severus told Harry with a warm smile. Harry nodded, and was surprised to find that he actually believed him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Severus will be a little OOC in this story because I believe the reason he became so bitter was after years of bullying, the loss of Lily and other factors along the way. Severus is twelve and will act how I believe a twelve-year-old Severus would act. Character ages will be based on Pottermore.**

Harry couldn't believe how different Severus' house was from what he was used to. Here the dishes washed themselves, the food was different and the pictures on the wall moved and some even talked. It nearly scared the life out of Harry when a painting in the hallway yelled at him to tuck in his shirt. Severus and Harry were sitting in the living room, Severus was working on an essay and Harry was flipping through one of Severus' textbook.

Harry was amazed by Severus' potions books; he had bought extra books, outside the required book list for first-year. He said Harry could borrow them throughout the school year. Harry was in the middle of a chapter about poison neutralising ingredients when the fireplace roared alive with a green flame. Harry let out a loud cry and quickly backed behind a nearby couch when a bearded figure emerged from the fireplace.

Up until then, Harry had never seen someone walk out of a fireplace and once the initial fear wore off and logic settled in, Harry felt quite stupid for his initial reaction.

"You must be Harry Potter," the bearded figure said, his eye twinkled with amusement as he watched Harry carefully analyse him to figure out whether or not he was friendly or not. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. I'm sure you'll be excited to be joining us in a few days. Severus, my boy! How are you doing? Still studying up on potions; I see a bright future for you."

Harry made his way back to the couch where he was sitting and placed a bookmark in the book he was reading because he had a feeling this conversation was going to take a while. Severus had gone upstairs to get his mum while Harry watched Dumbledore tuck his long white beard into his belt. Harry still couldn't believe that a beard could be that long; it was all he could do to keep himself from gaping.

"How are you settling in, Mr Potter? I have spoken to the department of accidental magic and they are in the process of enrolling you into Hogwarts. I just need to work out a few things with Mrs Snape when she joins us-"

"You won't be waiting much longer, I'm here," Severus' mum said, as she and Severus came back into the room. She had four cups of tea in her hand and a small plate of cookies.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you at home but a matter like this had to be tended to immediately. You said if necessary you would take young Harry Potter into your care and I just wanted to make sure that offer still stands. He will be needing a magical and full-time guardian and considering his parents are too young to do it..."

"Of course the offer still stands. I would love to have Harry in my care; I will treat him like my very own son. Severus has already stated that he has reason to believe Harry has been mistreated in his former home and I'm inclined to agree with him considering how thin and frail the child looks for eleven. I will have it no other way," Severus' mother said, sounded quite confident in her decision. Harry felt tears well in his eyes; this was the first time he heard someone saying that they _wanted_ him. It took all of his efforts not to grin like an idiot but it was so nice to feel wanted for once in his life and not just like a burden.

"Well, now that that is sorted, I've come to hand-deliver Harry's Hogwarts letter. The school will supply you with the funding to pick up his supplies. Harry, do you at least have your wand with you?" Dumbledore said glancing over at Harry who was sipping his tea.

"Yes, it's in my pocket; Hagrid told me it should never leave my person," Harry said, bringing his wand out of his jeans pocket for the older man to see. Dumbledore nodded and smiled widely, his eyes twinkling madly. Harry found himself wondering what the man was scheming. He knew the man was nice but Harry could already tell this man was a schemer.

"We'll have to teach you how to store your wand safely, it could snap inside your pocket if you're not careful," Dumbledore told Harry. "You'll come to Hogwarts on September first with Severus; I've already taken care of the paperwork. All you have to do is show up and learn."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said to Dumbledore, smiling. "Are you sure there is truly no way back to my time?"

"I'm afraid there isn't. Travel to the future was strictly outlawed. Any attempts now could be far too dangerous, I'm truly sorry. But, Mr Potter, you must learn that things happen for a reason and sometimes you need to let them play out to truly understand those reasons. Perhaps, it is your destiny to be here," Dumbledore said, standing up and patting Harry on the head. He turned and looked at Severus' mother.

"I'll have the funds for Harry's supplies applied to your account," Dumbledore said. When Severus' mum started to protest, Dumbledore simply raised his hand and shook his head. "That is everything, now I need to go back to the school; the first day is coming up and I have a lot to do."

Dumbledore walked back to the fireplace and Harry watched with wide eyes as the man walked into the flames. When he dropped a handful of powder into the flames and shouted something, the flames turned green and seemed to swallow him whole. Harry stood up and made his way over to the fireplace, trying to figure out where Dumbledore had disappeared to.

"That's floo powder; we can travel from fireplace to fireplace using it. He's fine, don't worry. It's the easiest method of transportation next to apparition and portkey," Severus explained, only receiving a blank look from Harry who had no idea what 'apparition' or 'portkey' even meant.

"What did your relatives tell you about magic? It will help us figure out what you know and what you don't know," Severus' mother asked kindly.

"They always said, 'magic doesn't exist; now don't ask questions,'" Harry said with a frown. His relatives had known all along magic existed and the fact that the word alone made them so angry should have told Harry that something was off. Severus and his mother shared a sad glance.

"I know his aunt, she's a real piece of work and that _sounds_ like something that would come out of her mouth," Severus told his mother.

Harry spent the next hour telling the Snapes about the past ten years with the Dursleys. He left out the stuff about the beatings and being forced to sleep in a cupboard. He simply told him the cruel words they said and some of the chores he'd been expected to do. But Harry could tell by the way Severus looked at him, that he knew there was more. Harry was very thankful Severus had decided not to push for more information.

Severus was now watching Harry as though the boy was about to fall apart, wondering how bad the truth really was. "Don't worry, you're safe now and we will never call you a freak here."

"I'm going to put an owl order in for nutrient potions for you. We're going to need to bring up your vitamin levels and your weight. You might have to keep taking them once you get to Hogwarts," Severus' mother said, writing something down on a bit of parchment. "Why don't you go get ready for bed? You can borrow some clothes from Severus until we can get you some clothes of your own."

* * *

The next morning when Harry woke up, it took him several minutes to remember where and _when_ he was. It was still weird to think about a time when he wasn't technically born as the 'present'. Harry got up and put on some of the clothes Severus had given him to wear.

Harry made his way downstairs only Severus' mother working in the kitchen. She was waving her wand as the food seemed to prepare itself. Harry found himself completely amazed by this and spent a few seconds watching. Simply seeing magic in use was an amazing experience for Harry and he couldn't help but think about how much his aunt and uncle would freak out if they saw this display.

"Ah, you're awake! We're going to go to Diagon Alley today. Do you have anything specific you want for breakfast?" Harry wasn't sure how to react to the question. Nobody had ever asked him what _he_ wanted to eat. It was usually his relative telling _him_ what they wanted to eat, not the other way around. Harry wasn't even sure what he wanted to eat because he'd never really thought about what he liked before.

"I think I'll just have some toast and eggs," Harry said, picking out things that were already prepared so he wouldn't feel like a burden.

"Sit down and I'll prepare your plate," Severus' mother told Harry. Harry sat down at the table and watched as the table seemed to be setting itself.

After a few minutes of watching Severus' mother work several brilliant spells, she came to the table holding a plate with bacon, eggs, toast and sausage. Harry smiled brightly and thanked her; Harry had never been given so much food to eat. He was halfway through the plate when Severus made his way into the kitchen and a few seconds later was presented with a loaded plate.

When they were almost finished their breakfast, an owl fluttered into the dining room, carrying a large package. Harry actually found it remarkable that the owl was able to carry such a large package.

"That's for you, Harry. It's your nutrient potions."

Harry took the package from the bird who took a piece of bacon off Severus' plate and flew quickly out the window.

Inside the package was ten individual doses of brown liquid hopefully tasted far better than they looked.

"You should probably pinch your nose when you take those," Severus told Harry who was slowly preparing himself to take the potion. Taking a deep breath, Harry plugged his nose and sent the whole dose down his throat without any of it touching his tongue. Unfortunately, he could taste it in his throat and it was horrible.

"That was nasty!" Harry said, causing Severus to chuckle slightly.

"At least the ones you have are only once a day. I had to take some after a really bad bout of the flu and it was three times a day for five days," Severus told Harry who flinched at the idea of taking that potion more than once within a day.

"Alright boys, get ready; we're leaving in five minutes!"

Harry and Severus went upstairs and cleaned up quickly before going downstairs to leave for Diagon Alley. Severus' mother was waiting but the fireplace for them with a pouch filled with a powder identical to what Dumbledore had used last night.

"We're going to floo?" Harry asked, nervously. Despite having seen Dumbledore do it last night, his mind was still having trouble with the idea of stepping into a live fireplace. It must have been obvious that he was nervous because Severus smiled and patted Harry on the back. After explaining how the floo network worked, Severus stepped into the fireplace and demonstrated the process.

"Make sure you speak very clearly," Severus' mother told Harry once her son was gone. Harry nodded and took a hesitant step towards the fireplace. He stepped into the fire and threw the powder into the flames and cried out, "Diagon Alley!"

It felt as though the world had disappeared from under his feet and that everything was spinning until suddenly, he was back on solid ground and down on his butt. Harry looked around, to find himself in a room with several fireplaces and a door that clearly lead outside. Severus was waiting by the door and somehow wasn't covered in as much soot and dirt as Harry.

Severus smirked at Harry and signalled for him to wait by the door for his mother.

"Welcome back to Diagon Alley, Harry!"


	3. Chapter 3

Diagon Alley looked... different than it had the last time Harry was here. Naturally, everything looked a little bit newer but not brand new. The displays were a bit different but everything else seemed to be the same from the kids whispering at the window of the Quidditch shop to the people walking up the road whispering to each other. The biggest difference Harry noticed this visit to Diagon Alley was that nobody pointed to his scar and began whispering his name excitedly. Harry was just a normal kid here and that was refreshing.

"Let's start by getting your robes, Harry," Severus' mother said, guiding them towards Madam Malkin's. The store was pretty much the same as it was in the nineties, except the door was a few shades lighter.

"Hogwarts, dears?"

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said, remembering the last time he had been here and couldn't believe he actually had to get all of his supplies for the second time.

Getting his robes was pretty much the same as last time, the measuring tape took his measurements and when his robes were done they left.

"Don't you need robes?" Harry asked Severus who laughed and shook his head.

"I got my robes last week, the only thing I want to get today is a few new potions books. I earned a few extra galleons making some itch soothing potions this summer," Severus said smirking.

"When I went to Diagon Alley the last time, I saw a book called brilliant potions made easier but Hagrid wouldn't let me get anything that wasn't on the list," Harry said, wondering if that book had even been written in the seventies or not.

"That book just came out, I'm going to be picking that book up today!" Severus said.

"Can I read it once you're done? The books on this list are the same as the last ones and I already read those," Harry said, earning himself a bit of respect in Severus' books.

"Why don't we practice making a few. I've made potions before growing up but you probably haven't," Severus said, as they made their way to Flourish and Blotts.

"I used to cook for my relatives but I'm not sure whether it's the same or not," Harry said, not noticing the frown Severus' mother had made at the statement. She looked like she wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, she went to the counter and requested a Hogwarts bundle.

Harry and Severus were glancing at several potions book when the door opened. Harry could hear some kids come in but didn't bother looking up until once of them spoke in a loud, obnoxious tone.

"Guys, look! Snivellus made a friend! Probably another..."

When Harry turned around to face the obnoxious kid, he was surprised to find how much the kid looked like him. The differences were visible since he was bigger, taller and his eyes were brown instead of green but the similarities were obvious. The two other boys who were with him noticed the similarities as well but they at least tried to control their expressions.

"James, do you know him?"

"No Sirius, I don't. What's your name, kid?" James asked, looking Harry up and down, clearly trying to figure out if he'd met this kid somewhere or not. He was obviously trying to figure out why Harry looked so much like him.

"I'm Harry," Harry said simply, finding himself not liking his father's attitude. He knew if he told James his last name, it would cause a lot of questions and drama and Harry just wanted a quiet day to shop without being bothered with questions and suspicious looks.

"And what's your last name?" James demanded but was cut off when a loud crash from across the room caused them all to jump. When they turned to face the source of the noise, James rolled his eyes and stomped over. Harry was surprised when the boy gave Harry a brief nod before turning his attention to James.

Harry watched as James and his friends picked up a stack of books each and made their way out. James turned to the owner and called something about sticking them all on his tab as they walked out the door. Harry couldn't believe how much of a... prick his father appeared to be.

"Is he always so... charming?" Harry asked Severus sarcastically.

"Oh yeah! He's a pleasure! And Sirius is just as bad! Remus isn't too bad but Peter is a little creepy," Severus said.

"James reminds me of my cousin Dudley," Harry said, not really wanting to compare his father to Dudley but he would be lying to himself if he didn't draw that comparison. "Why did he call you Snivellus?"

Severus looked uncomfortable for a minute before he finally turned to face Harry. He looked almost nervous to answer the question but Harry could tell he was going to answer anyway.

"It's a nickname he and Sirius made up for me last year and it has yet to die down," Severus told Harry with a frown. Harry couldn't believe how much of a jerk his father was. He could see that his aunt had actually been telling the truth when she called his father a bully. Harry shuddered to think that something his aunt had told him was true.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Severus and Harry were sitting outside of Severus' house eating some brownies when a girl with bright red hair and green eyes approached the house. She was smiling brilliantly and looked happy to see Severus. Just by looking at her eyes, Harry was pretty sure he knew who this was and his stomach flip-flopped with excitement.

"Sev!" she cried as she pulled Severus into a hug.

"Lily!" Severus cried hugging her back with just as much enthusiasm. "How was camp?"

"It was great, we spent every day outside and we spent night studying the constellations. Who's your friend?" Lily asked kindly, looking at Harry with a bit of recognition but her expression changed when she met his eyes. Harry couldn't stop the large grin that had spread across his face as he looked his mother in the eye for the first time. He almost wished he could hug her too but she might find it a little weird to have some strange kid hugging her.

"This is Harry Potter, he's staying here because..."

"Is that a time turner?" Lily asked, pointing to the chain. Harry hadn't realised that the pendant was showing but sure enough when he looked down, it was hanging out of his shirt between a couple buttons.

"Yeah, it is," Harry said nervously tucking the pendant back into his shirt. He made a mental note to put it in his trunk when he went to bed tonight to prevent this from happening again. He didn't want to have to explain the time turner to anyone else.

"Are you staying here because of that?" Lily asked, pointing to the time turner; Harry could see that she was already putting the pieces together in her mind.

"She's the brightest witch of our year," Severus told Harry, his eyes shining as he told him this. Harry had no choice but to agree, it was scary how fast she was putting this together and with no help. Clearly Aunt Petunia had been lying when she called Lily dumb because she was brilliantly smart.

"What house are you in?" Harry asked, hoping to change the topic but Lily just crossed her arms and gave him a look that said 'nice try, buddy'.

"Look, Lily, you have to promise not to tell anyone but Harry found that time turner and accidentally brought himself back here from 1991," Severus told Lily, blushing. Harry almost found it amusing how quickly Severus spilt his guts for Lily when he figured Severus was so guarded with everything. Did Severus have a crush on Lily? Hmm, Harry wondered why he wasn't with her because Harry was willing to guess she liked him as well.

"Oh my! And now you can't go back home, can you?" Lily asked. Lily looked at Harry sadly but once again her gaze turned to curiosity when her she caught site of Harry's eyes. Harry wondered if she was on the brink of figuring out who his mother was when the front door opened and Severus' mother wrapped Lily in a tight hug. Harry made another mental note to thank her later.

"Lily, why don't you stay for supper?" Severus asked, his eyes bright with excitement. Lily's face brightened and Harry almost hugged Severus for saying something that took her mind off of Harry's eyes.

"Sure, I just have to ask my mum. I don't think she'll mind since Petunia's having a sleepover tonight," Lily said. Harry hopes of Lily not noticing the way he flinched at his aunt's name died when she gave him a questioning glance. Harry shrugged and quickly excused himself to the toilet before Lily could ask any more questions. At this rate, Lily was going to figure out the truth by the end of the month.

When Harry finished in the bathroom, he went downstairs to join Severus and Lily at the table. Severus' mother gave Harry extra servings of veggies and a tall glass of milk.

"We're going to have you healthy before you go to Hogwarts," she told Harry. "Make sure you eat everything, dear."

"Yes, Mrs Snape."

"Please, call me Eileen," Eileen said softly as she looked at Harry with an expression that only a mother would make. Harry had never had anyone look at him that way and it made his heart feel warm and a smile broke across his face.

"Yes, Eileen."

Harry smiled when she patted his shoulder and started eating. It was nice to eat at the table with other people and now his _mother_ was sitting across the table from him. Harry was going to have to be careful not to slip up and mention his aunt's name or even his uncle's name. But he knew it probably wouldn't be long before she put it together and realised the truth.

"What are your favourite classes?" Harry asked Lily, he wanted to know as much about his mother as possible and this was the best opportunity to do so.

"I like charms and transfiguration. Potions is great too," Lily answered happily, causing Severus to smile at the mention of his favourite class. "You're starting Hogwarts this year?"

Harry nodded and smiled at the reminder that he was going to be going to Hogwarts this year. He couldn't wait to start learning magic.

"Yeah, we just got my supplies yesterday. I've officially bought the same supplies twice," Harry told Lily with a small laugh.

When Lily went home, Harry asked Severus to tell him some things he'd need to know for potions class. Severus began telling him about different cauldrons and different cuts and herbs that would be helpful to know. Severus also gave him some tips and helpful advice that wasn't found in the book. By the time Harry went to bed, he was exhausted. Severus had gone over a lot of what they'd be covering within the first year and a lot of it wasn't even mentioned in the textbooks; the potions they'd be brewing simply were based off the ones from the book.

"You'll be fine, you already show a firm understanding and the skills you obtained from cooking will definitely be helpful. Besides, I can help you out if you need any help with coursework. Professor Slughorn lets me use his lab on weekends sometimes," Severus had told Harry before he went off to his own room for the night. Harry was glad to know he'd have at least one person who'd help him out because not only did Harry had to adapt to the magical world, he had to adapt to it ten years before he was even born.

As Harry lay in bed that night, he reflected upon the day. He'd met his parents! His mother had been beautiful, smart and funny. His father had been a real tool; a spoiled, arrogant brat. He couldn't believe it, his father was just like Dudley! Okay, hopefully, his father wasn't quite _that_ bad but he was obnoxious. Harry found himself almost relieved that he didn't have James as a role model growing up but maybe he wouldn't be as obnoxious when he grew up.

Harry thought about his mother; he had her eyes but for the most part, Harry looked like his father. But Harry was still Happy because today he got to meet both of his parents. Before Harry went to sleep, he began to think about Hogwarts. He wondered about the things he'd be learning, the people he'd be meeting and the spells he'd get to do. It was really exciting and Harry couldn't wait to dive right in and start.

Becuase Harry didn't really care what time he was in, he was just happy to be away from the Dursleys. If he was lucky, he'd never have to see them again and that thought was enough to make Harry smile as he fell off into a deep sleep that night. His back still stung as he thought about them.


	4. Chapter 4

On September First, Harry woke up at nearly six o'clock in the morning and was much too excited to go back to sleep. His stomach was twisting with both excitement and nerves as he threw on his clothes and gathered the things from his room that he knew he would need. Harry took a second to watch the sun streaming in his window before he made his way downstairs to where Eileen was preparing a large breakfast.

"You're up early! You must be quite excited about today," she said as she put a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of Harry. Harry's stomach was jumpy but he was still a little bit hungry. But Harry just wanted to skip breakfast and go straight to Hogwarts but it wouldn't be time to leave for a few more hours.

"I can't wait to get to Hogwarts. Severus says the feast will be spectacular! Will I need anything for the sorting?" Harry asked, still attempting to get either Eileen or Severus to reveal anything that could tell him what to expect of the sorting ceremony. Perhaps if she mentions anything specific he might need, Harry would be able to figure it out.

Harry had even made an attempt with Lily while she was over but nobody revealed a thing. Yesterday, Harry had also come into the kitchen and told Eileen that Severus had told him about his sorting and he wanted Eileen to tell him more about it in case Severus had been bluffing. Eileen simply raised an eyebrow and gave Harry a 'nice try' look. Severus had said the attempt _might_ have worked, if not for the fact that Eileen had sent Severus to drop off some soup to a sick neighbour.

While Harry picked away at his breakfast, he watched as Eileen shrunk down his and Severus' school trunks and stuck them in her pants pocket. Harry was still completely fascinated every time he saw anyone do magic.

When Severus came to the table, he was wearing a green sweater and jeans. He looked excited but not as excited as Harry. But that was probably because Severus had already been to Hogwarts and already knew what to expect.

"Mum, how are we getting to the train station?" Severus asked, as he accepted his breakfast plate and began eating. Severus was watching his mother carefully as she flicked her wand and the dishes began to clean themselves.

"Lily's mum is going to bring us. It's a lot easier than explaining the Floo network to them," Eileen said with a laugh.

By the time Harry and Severus had finished breakfast, brushed their teeth and checked the house a few times to make sure they weren't forgetting anything, it was ten o'clock. When Harry heard the Evans' car pull up in front of the house, Harry's heart started fluttering excitedly. He looked at Severus and was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one grinning like an absolute fool.

"Alright, let's get moving!" Eileen said, pushing Harry and Severus out the front door and towards the car. Severus and Harry got into the backseat with Lily while Eileen took the front seat with Lily's mother.

The sun was pouring into the car and seemed to only bring up Harry's mood as he felt the car engine roar to life. "I can't believe my Lily-Pop is already going back to school so soon! It seems like she just got home and is already on her way back!" Lily's mother sighed as she started driving towards the train station.

"I know what you mean! It seems like Severus only came home long enough to sleep over and it's back out the door and Harry has only been with us a week and he's on his way out now too!" Eileen said.

When they arrived at the train station, Eileen enlarged their trunks onto a trolly and began wheeling towards the platforms. Harry found the look on Lily's mother's face hilarious when she watched the trunks seemingly appear out of nowhere.

The train station was about as crowded as Harry expected. There were people rushing around, the sound of children laughing, babies crying and trolleys being pulled in various directions. Occasionally, a train whistle could be heard nearby and would result in people taking off in that direction.

"Eileen, I can't find platform 9 and 3 1/4," Harry said, as he located platforms 9 and 10 but there was no platform in between. Harry wondered if this was part of the test to see if you were smart enough to go to Hogwarts; find the train and you can go to the school. If that was the case, then it looked like Harry was in for a disappointing ride back home.

"Oh, you have to go through the wall between Platforms 9 and 10. Come along, now," Eileen said steering them towards the brick wall. Harry found himself wondering if he had heard her correctly; she wanted him to run into a wall? Deciding he wanted to make sure it wasn't a prank of some sort, he politely insisted Severus go first. Severus of course shrugged and took off running towards the wall and suddenly he was gone. When Lily went behind him, she disappeared just like Severus had.

"Alright, Harry. It's your turn," Eileen said, giving Harry a soft shove towards the wall.

Harry took a deep breath and began jogging towards the wall. Before he could reach the wall, he closed his eyes and braced himself for an impact that, thankfully, never came. When Harry opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a crowded platform. Parents could be seen hugging and kissing their children farewell, children were towing around trunks and trolleys and older students were helping younger students get their trunks onto the train.

It didn't take long for Harry to find Severus and Lily standing happily by the train. Just a few moments later, Eileen and Lily's mother came onto the platform. One of the older students quickly rushed forward and helped Eileen and Mrs Evans load their trunks onto the train.

Once the trunks were securely on the train, Eileen turned to Severus and Harry and pulled them both into a long hug and kissed them both on the head. Harry hugged Eileen back, expressing how thankful he was to her for taking care of him and treating him like he was her own son.

"I'll see you boys next summer! Be good! Harry don't forget to take your potions until they're gone and Severus keep and eye out for him," Eileen said as they boarded the train. "I want both of you to write often! Oh, and here are a few galleons to get some treats off the trolley."

Harry and Severus waved happily to Eileen as the train began pulling away from the platform. It felt so nice to know that someone cared for him and actually wanted to hear from him during the school term.

Harry knew his relatives would have told him not to write and try not to come home the following summer. Of course, it would no longer be necessary to come up with an excuse to avoid the Dursleys now. The thought of not have to see them again brought a wide grin to Harry's face.

Harry and Severus made their way into an empty compartment while Lily went off with a couple second-year girls to talk about their summers. Severus was showing Harry some potions from his second-year potions textbook when the door opened to reveal a kind lady with the treat trolley.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Once they had chosen a few treats, Harry and Severus made their way back to their seats and continued to flip through the book. When the compartment door opened again, Harry found James Potter standing in the door with the boy called Sirius and two other boys Harry couldn't recognise. One boy had a rat-like expression and gave Harry a creepy feeling. The other boy looked much more down-to-earth and reasonable than his friends, in fact, he looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

"Ah, it's you! The kid who looks like me; you lucked out there. You can come sit with me and my mates. You'll soon find that some wizards are better to hang around with than others," James said, looking over Harry's shoulder and scowling at Severus before turning his attention back to Harry. "I'm James Potter, I can help you there."

The rat-faced boy watched the exchange with an unsettling smirk on his face. The other boy seemed annoyed with James' words but didn't say anything. Sirius seemed indifferent to the whole thing.

When James stuck out his hand for Harry to shake, Harry simply stared at it for a few seconds before coolly replying.

"I think I can figure it out for myself, thank you."

For a second, James was unsure how to react to the rejection but he turned around and left with a look of frustration and confusion on his face. Sirius seemed confused by the rejection but the down-to-earth boy actually seemed amused by the exchange. The rat-faced boy gave Harry a smile that turned his blood cold and sent shivers down his spine before followed the fuming James Potter away from their compartment.

Harry wondered if anyone had ever turned him away from _anything_ in his whole life. Soon Severus and Harry were left alone in the compartment once again.

"You didn't have to do that, Harry," Severus said, eyeing Harry carefully.

"He was being a jerk. I have no patience for people who think they're better than others for whatever reason," Harry said, thinking about his cousin and once again comparing him to James Potter. But the fact that James actually _accepted_ the rejection without throwing an almighty tantrum, told Harry that he was _slightly_ less spoiled than Dudley. At least James didn't appear to be someone who would throw himself on the ground and throw a tantrum.

Severus and Harry spent most of the train trip going over the textbooks and eating the treat they had gotten from the trolley.

Halfway through the journey, Severus asked Harry about his parents and how they died. Harry told Severus what Hagrid had told him, though he wondered if Hagrid had left any details out just to protect him. When he was finished, Harry could see the devastation in Severus' eyes about the idea that Lily would die; especially so young.

"But why didn't you die when he tried to kill you?" Severus asked as he glanced curiously towards the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Nobody knows," Harry said with a shrug, wishing he was able to give a better answer than that. He was sure Dumbledore knew but telling Severus this wouldn't be helpful because the Dumbledore in this time probably wouldn't know. "All I know is, people tend to stare at my scar once they figure out who I am and they act like I'm some celebrity because of it. My parents died, I would rather be a nobody with living parents than a famous person with dead ones."

Severus nodded and patted Harry on the shoulder.

"I promise I won't treat you special because of that. And you won't have to worry about people pointing and staring at you in this time... Or maybe not as many people. Once the school finds out your last name, they will try and figure out exactly how you are related to James Potter. It's a well-known fact that James is an only child; they will want to know where you came from."

"Fun," Harry said, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"But it'll probably blow over in a few days once people become more occupied with homework and classes," Severus said with a shrug as they began changing into their robes.

"You think so?" Harry asked nervously.

"Well, the rest of the school might forget; James might take a little longer to drop it," Severus said with a roll of his eye. He was obviously referring to his flattering nickname.

After a few more minutes of talking about Hogwarts and what to expect, the train came to a stop; they had finally arrived! Harry Potter was finally at Hogwarts!

As they exited the train Harry noticed that Hagrid, looking much younger, was standing close by with a large lantern calling for the first years to follow him. Harry glanced nervously at Severus who simply motioned for Harry to follow Hagrid.

"I'll see you inside," Severus said as Harry followed behind the other first-years. Harry was relieved to see that he wasn't the only nervous person in this group. This was it, there was no going back. In just a few moments, Harry was going to be sorted and he'd finally be able to start his magic education, despite everything his relative had done to try and stop it. If it wasn't for the fact that they'd have no clue who he was, he would send them a letter shoving it in their faces.


	5. Chapter 5

Hagrid guided them to tiny paddle boats which lead them towards the castle. Harry it beautiful how the night sky seemed to reflect off the water. Severus had explained that the first years were brought to the castle separately to give the older students a chance to be seated before the first-years could be sorted. He said it would probably be too hectic if everyone came in at the same time, it would take far too long to pick out the first-years from the other students.

"Do you know how they're going to sort us?" Harry asked the three other kids in his boat, hoping one of their parents or siblings had let _something_ slip. All Harry got back was a bunch of theories. The boy with dirty blonde hair tried to convince them that they'd have to fight a troll. But Harry could tell by the expression on his face that he was only trying to scare them.

Harry decided not to say anything and instead start focusing on what was about to happen. Even though Harry had studied everything he could, included some of Severus' second-year books, he was still nervous that he wouldn't do well enough in his classes. Of course, this was something Harry experienced in grade school as well. But he had to downplay how much he actually knew so his cousin would look good; his relatives didn't allow him to get grades higher than Dudley.

This was hard because Dudley was an idiot and just barely passed his classes. But that would no longer be a problem because Dudley wasn't even born.

"What house do you want to be sorted into?" the blonde boy asked. "I'm hoping to be in Ravenclaw or Slytherin."

"I don't know, I'd be fine with any house I get sorted into," Harry said. Harry was just as curious to see what house he was going to wind up in. And here, Harry wasn't going to have to worry about everyone going nuts about what house 'the boy who lived' was in. Because Harry was starting to lean towards Slytherin; he wondered if it would be possible to influence himself into the house. That way he'd know at least one person in his house.

Here, Harry could just be a normal boy. Harry had not been looking forward to going to Hogwarts as a 'celebrity', considering he was only famous because he didn't die with his parents.

"I'm Edward Bates," the young boy said, reaching his hand out for Harry to shake.

"Harry Potter," Harry said confidently, hoping Edward didn't connect him right away to James Potter.

When they reached land, Hagrid led them towards the castle. Everyone was mostly quiet except for a few whispers or loud, nervous breaths. Harry was excited but he was also nervous about what was to come. He wondered if there was going to be a test, if they'd have to cast spells or maybe they would be sorted based on how they behaved on the way to the castle. Harry wondered how easy it would be to influence whoever sorted them.

The castle was huge; it was without a doubt, the largest building had ever seen in his life. Heck, a single tower was larger than anything Harry had ever seen in his life. As they got closer to the castle, it somehow became bigger and even a little intimidating.

When the door opened, Harry knew it was time to get the show on the road. With a deep breath, Harry prepared himself, as best he could, for whatever was going to come his way.

A woman in grey and scarlet robes was waiting for them at the top of a flight of stairs. She had a stern look on her face but Harry could see excitement deep in her eyes; Harry could tell that she meant business and wasn't one to be messed with. Harry wondered what she taught; maybe if he could get on her good side, it would help him do a little better in class. Perhaps it would just be easier to make friends with one of the smarter kids in class who actually had magical influences growing up. Harry was determined to do well in his classes while he was here.

"Gather around," the woman called as students gathered on the stairs and watched her expectantly. "I am Professor McGonagall."

"In a few moments, you will pass through these doors and join your classmates for the start-of-term feast but first you will be sorted into your houses. Your houses will be like your family; you will go to classes together, you will share your dorms and together, you will share your successes and learn from your failures," The woman said, her voice was strong and carried over the group. Her voice was quiet but the way she spoke almost demanded respect. there is Ravenclaw

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin." Harry detected a slight bias towards the Gryffindor house in her tone and a little bias against the Slytherin house. Harry wondered if she had been in Gryffindor when she was a student here. "Your accomplishments will earn your house points; any rule-breaking will lose them."

The lights in the corridor flickered slightly, causing Professor McGonagall to straighten out her robes and stand up straight. Harry figured this was the cue to get ready to enter and ran his hand through his hair knowing it wouldn't do anything besides help ease his nerves.

"Alright, line up in pairs and follow me," Professor McGonagall said as she opened the doors to a large room filled with all of the older students in the school. Harry stood in line next to Edward who looked just about as nervous as Harry and walked through the massive double doors. Harry recognised the way the stairs and candles floated in the sky from Hogwarts: A History, the effect made the room look so much larger than it actually was.

The students were seated among four tables across the length of the hall and they were watching the first-years with various expressions from excitement to boredom. Each table had a different colour scheme to it and that extended to their robes and ties which matched their tables themes. After a few seconds looking around Harry spotted Severus who gave Harry an encouraging nod. At another table, he found Lily who gave him a more obvious thumbs up; the muggle gesture earned her a few confused glances but she shrugged it off completely.

When the finally reached the front of the hall, Harry felt the butterflies begin rushing violently around his stomach as he glanced around the room. At least Harry wasn't the only one who look nervous. There was a boy to Harry's left who looked ready to pass out; Harry wondered if anyone had ever passed out up here before. That would be a wonderful first impression.

At the front of the classroom was a stool with an old hat sitting on it. The hat looked like it was older than everyone in the room combined and the amount of patches on the hat made Harry wonder why it hadn't completely fallen apart. But what shocked Harry was when the hat started singing about Hogwarts different houses. A few of the creases had begun moving like a mouth and eyes and a loud, deep voice came from the hat. When the hat was done singing, everyone broke into applause.

"Alright, when I call your names you will come forward and the hat will be placed on your head and you will be sorted into your house," Professor McGonagall said, producing a long scroll and took a deep breath.

"Holly Adams!"

A girl with curly brown hair sat down on the bench and a few seconds after the hat was placed on her head... "RAVENCLAW!"

As Professor McGonagall went down with list, students were placed in different houses and everyone would clap but the houses to receive a new housemate always clapped loudest. Edward had been placed in Ravenclaw after only two seconds with the hat on his head.

"Harry Potter!"

As Harry sat down on the stool, he could see James Potter and his friends gaping at him with obvious confusion on their faces. Several Gryffindors could be seen looking back and forth between Harry and James, trying to figure out what was going on. Harry could only imagine the rumours that were going to go around for the first little while.

When the hat was placed on Harry's head, the whispers were muffled drastically and Harry enjoyed the silence for a second before...

'Interesting, very interesting... You are a quick thinker, you're quite resourceful and bright. You are also ambitious and the passion that goes with it! And a thirst to prove yourself! I believe you will do best in SLYTHERIN!'

Harry felt his stomach leap for joy as the hat was lifted off his head and Professor McGonagall gave him a small push towards the Slytherin table. It was enough to move his shaking legs in the right direction. Harry sat next to Severus who patted him on the back and gave him a warm welcome to Slytherin. When Harry lifted his head, he noticed James staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

By the time the time the sorting was done, the butterflies had left Harry's stomach and he was now quite hungry. Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat the Great Hall became silent.

"I have a few words before we begin our beautiful start of term feast! Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

With those words, the table was filled with more food than Harry had ever seen in his whole life and it all looked mouth watering! Harry wasn't sure what to try first. He finally decided on turkey with veggies and stuffing; all of the things he never got to eat at the Dursleys.

"A hat?" Harry asked Severus. "I thought I was going to have to write a test or cast a spell!"

"Nah, most first-years can't cast spells when they arrive because of not being allowed to use magic outside of school," Severus said.

When Harry looked over to the Gryffindor table, he could see that James Potter was still watching him but was also focusing on his food and friends.

"What's up with him?" Harry asked Severus, who looked up at James who sneered and looked away completely.

"He's probably shocked you're in Slytherin. Potters are known for being in Gryffindor. He doesn't know who _you_ are but he knows the family name. He's probably also wondering why you have the family name," Severus explained.

"Maybe I should make something up; how do you think he'd handle finding out his father had an affair?" Harry said, remembering an argument some kids parents had on the school playground about just that.

"I think the thought's going to come up anyway because it'd be the most reasonable explanation," Severus said with a shrug. "But I bet he's probably going to be sending a very interesting letter home tonight."

Harry and Severus spent the rest of the feast coming up with different things they could tell James to get under his skin about who Harry actually was because they could tell James was going to try and figure it out.

Harry figured it was best to tell James something he'd believe and then maybe he would let it go.

By the end of the feast, they were introduced to their Head of House, Professor Slughorn. He guided the first years down to the common room and showed them to their dorms.

Harry was surprised by how welcoming it felt in the dungeons. It was exactly the right combination of sophistication, vintage and warmth. Harry could very easily picture himself curling up with a book by the fireplace and sipping tea. The dorms were nice as well, each bed was large and looked quite comfortable. Each student also had their own desk, dresser and small closet.

Harry found that is trunk was already sitting at the foot of one of the beds and his uniforms were already hanging neatly in the closet. The ties and robes had already been changed to represent Harry's new house and they looked like they had been pressed recently as well. Harry didn't have time to ponder this because the first-years were already being called down to speak to Slughorn again.

"Because tomorrow is Saturday, we will have your orientation tomorrow. So, for now, lights out is at ten; 9:30 on weekdays," Professor Slughorn told the first years. "Should you need to contact me throughout the night for whatever reason, just hold your wand and say 'communicare Slughorn' and I'll be right there."

And like that, they were left to their own devices.


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a quick author's note, I am not quite as familiar with Slughorn as I am the other Professors and I hope I don't get him too out of character. If you notice I get anything wrong, please let me know. I am also trying to figure out what year students have to be to be accepted into Slug Club; I tried looking it up but I couldn't find anything giving me a definitive year. I also looked up September 1, 1972, and it did indeed fall on a Friday**

Professor Slughorn brought all of the first-years down to the common room just after breakfast the next morning and went over the Slytherin house rules and gave them their class schedules. The rules were simple enough to remember; be back in the common room by nine, bedtime was ten, homework was to be completed on time, group study sessions were to be held weekly and dorms were to be kept tidy. Aside from that, the key rule was solidarity. Helping your fellow snakes, when needed, wasn't just encouraged; it was expected.

Professor Slughorn also explained how he didn't want any public displays of arguments or pettiness. Once Slughorn was done explaining the rules, he posted a sign-up sheet for vaccination reviews and explained that he expected to see every student sign up to ensure they had all received all of their wizarding and muggle vaccinations.

"We don't need to be dealing with dragon or smallpox outbreaks, so if I see _one_ name not present on this list, it will be placed before the sun rises and don't think I won't drag your butt down there at five o'clock in the morning," Slughorn explained as he pointed to the paper with an expression that told Harry how serious he was. Harry knew he'd have to sign up because he knew the Dursleys had never been bothered to take him for the standard muggle vaccines, let alone _magical_ vaccinations. He wondered exactly what was involved with magical vaccinations; he would have to ask Severus about this at lunch today.

"I will be very involved with your education. Unlike the other houses, if I notice any potential troubles in classes or problems within your dietary habits, I will look into it to make sure you are healthy and doing as well as possible in all classes," Slughorn gave the students each a glance over before he began speaking again.

"You will find me tough but fair and this is because I want you to be and do the very best you can. You will also be partnered with a specific classmate the second year to help you adjust, they will be there to answer questions, to study with you and help you adjust to the school. Because today is Saturday, you will not have any classes but I advise that you take advantage of the time to glance at your textbooks; perhaps unwrap some of them to make it _appear_ like you did."

Slughorn stood up and made his way to the door before reminding the first-years how to get in touch with them if they needed to.

As the other first-years made their way back to whatever they had been doing before they had been called to the meeting; none of them actually went to unwrap their books as they had been instructed. Harry had already finished all of his books and was actually halfway through Severus' books. He found that he actually enjoyed reading when he was actually allowed to touch the books. It was nice to not be yelled at and beaten for wanting to fill his mind with knowledge.

Over the weekend, Harry found that he'd been partnered up with Severus and he figured it was because Slughorn saw that Harry was comfortable with the older boy. Severus had shown Harry where the library was, where all the good books could be found and how to write with a quill. Harry found himself learning more in those two days than he ever did at the Dursleys.

Severus had also shown Harry hidden shortcuts throughout the school that let them travel faster through the school. Even better, it made it easier for them to avoid James Potter and his friends who made more efforts to seek them out than Dudley had ever had to patience for.

Harry assumed it had something to do with the fact that they wanted answers on _who_ Harry was and why they had the same last name. Harry also knew it was because he was with Severus and they seemed to really enjoy taunting and teasing Severus. Harry found himself disliking the man more and more every day.

Harry actually wondered how he had wound up with Lily since she was too kind and sweet to have patience for someone like him. Especially since Lily didn't seem like she like James Potter; in fact, she barely tolerated him at all. So how had the become close enough to get married and have a baby?

By the time Monday came around, Harry was excited for his first day of classes. He woke up early and showered before breakfast and during breakfast, he ate a healthy breakfast as he prepared his supplies in his bag. He was going to be organised and ready to learn when he got to potions this morning.

Harry was still excited about some of the things Severus had shown him the day before about potions. He'd shown Harry the different cutting, mixing and storage methods and Harry couldn't wait to show his classmates that despite the fact that he came from 'nowhere' he wasn't a moron. He was going to prove to them that he did belong here.

Potions class was with the Gryffindors and Harry followed his housemates to the dungeons where they found Slughorn sitting in the potions lab, laughing over a cauldron of bubbling potion.

"It works! My giggling goo works!" Slughorn said between giggles and snorts of laughter. Slughorn picked drank the contents of another phial and the effects from his giggling goo seemed to wear off completely and he gestured for the students to come into the room. The first-years hesitantly filed into the room, staring at Professor Slughorn as though they expected him to burst into peals of laughter again.

"Everyone sit down, two to a table!" Slughorn said, watching as the students sat down and watched him carefully.

"The person you are sitting beside will be your partner for the duration of the year. Your performance will impact both of your marks; if one person messes up, you will both be graded accordingly. This will make sure you work as a team for best results. First of all, can someone tell me where you would find a bezoar and what is it used for?"

Harry was thrilled to find that he actually knew the answer. Before Harry raised his hand to answer, he looked around the classroom to make sure nobody else knew. After a few seconds, Harry finally raised his hand.

"Yes, Mr Potter," Slughorn asked, looking at Harry expectantly.

"It's found in the goat of a stomach and it's used to fight the effects of most poisons," Harry said, glad that all the time he had spent studying with Severus had paid off.

"Excellent! Ten points to Slytherin!" At Slughorns words, Harry felt pride bubbling happily in his belly. "Okay, Mr Potter, What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Isn't that the Draught of Living Death?"

"Brilliant! Ten more points to Slytherin! One more question! What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"There is no difference, they are the same thing," Harry answered, proudly.

"Excellent! Excellent! Well Done! Ten more points to Slytherin!" Slughorn cried, causing the Slytherin first-years to pat Harry back and beam proudly in their seats while the Gryffindors tried to process what had just happened. "The art of Potions is a delicate subject. It requires a combination of patience, knowledge and at the same time, creativity. You will be learning to make potions and hopefully, you will leave my class with a strong foundation of the subject. Because of the delicate nature of this class, I will be enforcing rules that I expect to be followed for your own safety."

Harry began taking notes as Slughorn was speaking and listened carefully as the Professor warned them about safety when handling dangerous ingredients and how to react should they come in contact with your skin.

"You take your robes off. Humility is fine and all but safety is a little more of a concern then someone seeing you in your underwear," Slughorn answered when a student had asked what to do if something dangerous got on your clothes. "Failure to follow rules designated for your safety will result in removal from this class. I want everyone to bring out their cauldrons and open your books to page 25 and begin preparing the cure for boils."

Harry opened his book and smiled when he recognised the potion as one of the ones he'd prepared with Severus a few days ago and was still fresh in his mind.

"I've made this one before," Harry told his partner who seemed relieved to be partnered with someone who knew what he was doing.

"Good, because I've never brewed a potion in my life. I'm Alex," the boy said, offering his hand to Harry who shook it and began preparing the ingredients.

"I'm Harry. Do you want to add the ingredients, or cut them?" Harry asked; he was fine doing whichever task and wanted to establish a good relationship with the boy who would determine fifty percent of his marks in this class.

"You know what you're doing, I'll add and you can prepare. Next class, we'll switch," Alex said. Harry nodded, knowing that was a good idea; it would give them both equal experience preparing and mixing.

"I think that's a good idea and we can compare notes at the end of each class to make sure we're on the same page," Harry suggested, remembering how Severus had explained that both roles offered different notes and how he and his partner always compared notes at the end of each potions class.

"That sounds like a plan," Alex said.

As they were brewing, Harry told Alex how he had found that the potion would brew almost fifteen minutes faster had they been allowed to have a copper cauldron. When their potion was finished, Slughorn dashed excitedly over to inspect the potion.

"Very good Mr Potter and Mr Green! Twenty points to Slytherin for completing the potion first and ten points for getting it correct on your first try! I'm going to send this over to the Hospital Wing if that's okay with you? And for your success, you will each get to keep a phial of the potion for yourself."

"I have no problem with that. Alex?" Harry asked, receiving a proud nod from his partner.

"Go ahead!" Alex said, smiling proudly as Professor Slughorn took the cauldron to the front of the room where he took the potion and prepared it to be transported.

"My parents are going to be so proud! First class and my potion will be used in the hospital wing! I'm sure your parents will be thrilled!" Alex said to Harry who frowned, not sure what to say to this boy about his parents.

"My parents... they died when I was a baby but my guardian and her son will be happy," Harry explained, technically telling the truth. Of course, the whole truth would have sounded completely crazy; my parents are in their second-year and aren't aware of the fact that I'm their son because I haven't been born yet. Harry could only imagine how well _that_ would have gone.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" Alex exclaimed but stopped when Harry raised his hand and shook his head.

"I never really got to know them but it's almost like getting the opportunity to learn about them by going to their old school," Harry said, leaving out the fact that they were attending school with him and how he was actually getting to know them in person. The last thing Harry needed was the smug look on James' face when he found out the truth or worse, to be labelled the crazy kid.

* * *

Charms was a little bit different. The class started with Professor Flitwick introduced them to the class but unlike potions, they spent the whole class taking notes and simply practising wand gestures until the bell went for lunch. Harry was actually disappointed that they didn't get to cast any spells that class; that was what he was looking forward to doing in Charms.

"We will be casting charms next class, so please come prepared," Professor Flitwick called to the class as they made their way out of the classroom. When Alex and Harry got to the Great Hall, Severus was waiting for them with a smirk on his face.

"I heard you earned Slytherin sixty points today! Good going! You must have made a good impression of Slughorn!" Severus said as Harry and Alex sat down.

"I just remembered a lot of what I read this summer! It's no big deal," Harry said.

"No big deal! Professor Slughorn said they're going to use our potion in the Hospital Wing!" Alex said, his voice dripping with awe.

"I'm sure they do that all the time," Harry said with a shrug. He was happy with the acknowledgement but it didn't seem warranted considering how little effort it actually took. But the look on Severus' face told him maybe it was a bigger deal than he thought.

"That's actually quite amazing. It's not every day a first year makes a potion good enough for Slughorn to hand over to Madam Pomfrey; especially the first class," Severus said, causing Harry to grin proudly.

"Too bad we're taking flying lessons next," Harry said frowning, wondering just how bad he was going to be on a broom.

"I dunno, James Potter is pretty good on a broom and he is your _cousin_ after all. You probably won't be that bad," Severus said, emphasising the word 'cousin' so Harry would catch what he meant. "He might be a prick but he's brilliant on a broom."

Harry decided to be a little bit optimistic upon hearing that. Perhaps he might leave the class without any major injuries. At the very least, Harry was hoping he'd be able to walk himself to the hospital wing. Harry wanted his dignity to be spared the humiliation for being carried off the pitch.

 **I have officially, after hours of brainstorming and planning, have come up with the entire plot for this story. It's not fully written out yet but I have already decided on its ending. But never fear, there are still several chapters to come.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning, mentions of past abuse.**

The Quidditch pitch was filled with students who were either really nervous, really excited or showing no particular emotion. Harry was one of the ones showing no emotion because he didn't want to appear vulnerable. One thing he learned from his cousin was that bullies targeted those who looked like easy targets and Harry was _not_ going to be an easy target here.

Several of the Slytherin first-years seemed quite pleased with Harry; Harry's sixty points had brought Slytherin to a strong start compared to the other houses. But this meant the looked Harry was getting from the other houses, especially James Potter, were a lot less friendly. Harry was half tempted to tell James exactly _who_ he was when he caught the twelve-year-old glaring at him in the Great Hall but decided against it because it would bring on unwanted attention.

"I can't wait to be done with this class! I am _not_ a flying child! I always hated it when I was younger and I'm afraid my feelings towards flying have not changed," Alex muttered, frowning at the broom in front of him. Harry wasn't sure whether the boy wanted to kick the broom or burn it but he could tell that his intentions with the broom were violent.

Harry shrugged. He was excited with the idea of flying; it was the falling part that made Harry nervous. Actually, the falling part was fine, it was the part where he hit the ground and landed himself in the Hospital Wing that was bringing nervous knots to his stomach. Harry decided against telling Alex this because he was sure the kid would run away if he did.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Harry said, leaving out how lucky he thought Alex was to at least have some experience. Alex was probably only going to have to stay for the one class while Harry would be stuck taking this class for the whole term. If you could prove you know what you're doing within the first class, you're excused from the class for the duration of the year. Harry knew this was because some of the students were taught to fly before they could even walk.

If you could prove you know what you're doing within the first class, you're excused from the class for the duration of the year. Harry knew this was because some of the students were taught to fly before they could even walk.

"Alright, I want you to hold your hands over your broom and say 'UP'," Madam Hooch said as she made her way towards the students who were simply staring at her with a strange expression but didn't move. Harry was surprised she didn't take attendance or give a speech about safety or what the class would consist of.

"I'm meant today!" Madam Hooch snapped, snapping Harry's attention back to reality. Harry made his way to a broom, nearly tripping over a few other students.

"Up!"

Harry wasn't expecting his broom to jump into his hand the first try and wasn't prepared for the impact that came when it crashed into his hand. Harry was one of only five students to successfully get his broom up. Harry looked around to see brooms rolling on the ground and brooms that simply didn't move at all. Alex's broom only rose high enough to smack him in the nose before falling back to the ground.

"Every _single_ time," Harry heard Alex growl as he shot the broom a glare that could bring small children to tears. Harry fought the urge to laugh but he wasn't able to hide the smirk fast enough to stop himself from earning a glare from Alex.

After the whole class finally got their brooms in their hands, Madam Hooch demonstrated how to mount the brooms and how to kick off from the ground. Harry listened very carefully, not wanting to make a fool out of himself before he could make it five feet off the ground. Harry almost wished he could take notes without looking like a major nerd.

"Alright, now mount your brooms and kick off. I want you to hover in place for a few seconds," Madam Hooch instructed.

Harry mounted his broom and felt an overwhelming sense of pride when his feet left the ground and he hovered in place two feet above the ground. Harry felt an excited rush in his belly as he wiggled his toes over the grass. The feeling of being _this_ high felt amazing and Harry couldn't wait until he could go higher.

"Good job, now we are going to warm up by doing a lap around the pitch at thirty feet up," Madam Hooch instructed as she started to go higher. "Follow my motions and keep both hands on your brooms at all times."

As Harry followed Madam Hooch into the air, his feeling of excitement and joy overwhelmed him. He couldn't believe how _right_ it felt to be up in the air but this was almost the best feeling Harry had ever felt in his life. As they made their way around the pitch, they picked up speed and the feeling of the wind in Harry's hair was almost addicting. The fear Harry felt before he got on the broom had dissolved and left Harry wondering exactly why he had been nervous at all.

"We are going to make our way up to fifty feet and start working on some drills. Pace yourselves and slowly start to climb up to fifty feet. We'll do one lap at that height so you can become more comfortable with being up that high," Madam Hooch said. "And if anyone experiences dizziness, nausea or double vision, please land immediately. I will be watching from bellow."

Harry felt the rush as he got higher and the thrill of being in the air and it took everything he had not to yell for joy as they began moving around the pitch. Harry was so preoccupied flying that he didn't notice the phial of potion slipping out of his pants pocket until he saw it falling. Instinct kicked in immediately and Harry dove towards the ground towards his phial of potion. He'd spent too much time brewing it to lose it now.

As Harry dove towards the ground, he found himself moving faster and faster and finally within a few feet of the ground, Harry snatched the phial and picked up the nose of the broom just in time to prevent himself from crashing hard into the grass. Harry felt his heart racing with excitement and adrenaline as he made his way up towards the class.

"Mr Potter!" Harry had barely made it up ten feet before a pale-faced, wide-eyed Professor Slughorn came running onto the pitch. The older man looked like he still couldn't believe what he had just seen and his expression was unreadable. "You will follow me, Mr Potter."

Harry looked up at his awe-struck classmates before he landed his broom and followed Professor Slughorn towards the castle. Professor Slughorn would occasionally turn around and give Harry a look of shock and astonishment before he picked up the pace and continue walking towards the Great Hall. When they walked into the Great Hall and walked towards the Slytherin table, Harry found himself confused. There was a group of fifth-years playing a game Harry didn't recognise and a few other students were watching closely to see who was going to win.

"Pierce! Come with me!" Slughorn called, before turning and walking out of the Great Hall. Harry and a boy called Michael Pierce followed Slughorn out of the Great Hall and into a classroom. Michael and Harry struggled to keep up and once they reached the classroom, they were both winded and out of breath.

Harry knew why he was there but he was unable to figure out why the older student was there. What did he have to do with Harry's punishment? Clearly, Michael was thinking the same thing because he shot Slughorn an impatient but questioning look.

"Michael!" Slughorn cried, his face breaking into a wide smile as he turned to face the confused older boy. "I have found you a _seeker_!"

Harry's eyes went wide when he heard Slughorn's words. He knew what a seeker was but he also knew that first-years weren't allowed to be on the team.

"I will speak to Dumbledore and we'll get that rule bent! Don't you worry about it because I just watched this boy pull out of a fifty-foot nose dive two feet before hitting the ground and he caught a phial of potion at the same time! Can you think of a better seeker?"

Michael turned to face Harry with wide eyes before extending his hand towards Harry.

"Welcome to the Slytherin Quidditch team," Michael said, shaking Harry's hand. Harry stood there unable to believe what was happening, even as he agreed to meet Michael in the Quidditch pitch on Saturday for a breakdown of the game and how he wanted Harry to keep quiet about his place on the team so they could catch the other teams off guard.

* * *

When Harry found Severus in the common room, he gave Harry a questioning glance.

"Well, Alex told me what happened in class, what did Slughorn want?" Severus asked. Harry pulled Severus into a quiet corner of the room before giving him a look that told him to be quiet.

"He put me on the quidditch team. I'm the new Slytherin seeker," Harry whispered and watched as Severus' eyes went wide with shock. "But Slughorn wants to keep it quiet for now. The other teams will think we don't have a seeker until the morning of the first game and then when they see me..." Harry smiled when he thought about how the other team would react.

"I've never heard of a first-year playing Quidditch on the school team! This is amazing. To be put on the team before try-outs! The other team won't know what hit them!" Severus said, picturing the look on the Gryffindors face when they lose to a first-year seeker.

"Yeah, Slughorns going to talk to Dumbledore tonight and their not even going to tell the other staff just yet. It'll be a surprise for everyone," Harry explained. "Hey, isn't the first game against Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, I hear James is trying out for seeker this year," Severus said, an evil glint came over his eyes and soon Harry's face mimicked it perfectly.

"I'm sure he'll _love_ losing to me," Harry said laughing.

"He'll love it more because of how hard he tried to get on the team last year and you get on without even trying," Severus said laughing. Harry could only imagine the fit James was going to throw when he saw Harry playing for Slytherin during his first-year.

That evening at supper, James was smirking at Harry, clearly thinking Harry had gotten in trouble for the stunt pulled in flying lessons. The whole school had been talking about the stunt and how Slughorn had dragged Harry off the pitch. There were rumours spreading about the punishments Harry had received but Harry knew not one of them was remotely close to the truth.

James whispered something to his friends and pointed to Harry with a loud snort. Sirius laughed along with him but not as loud, Peter made a chattering noise that resembled laughing and Remus just made a face and gave a half-hearted laugh at whatever James had said.

"Are you going to try out for the team?" Harry asked Severus who simply shook his head and laughed.

"No, I don't need to give James any more reason to tease and taunt me when I show the whole school my horrendous Quidditch abilities," Severus said, chuckling weakly to himself. Clearly unhappy that he wasn't good enough at quidditch to be able to rub that in James' face. Harry could tell immediately.

"Quidditch is only good while you're a student. You might not be good at Quidditch but _you_ will grow up to be the youngest Potion's Master in history! I read it in Hogwarts a History before I came here. And James will have his little quidditch trophies. So, who's looking better now?" Harry said, watching as Severus perked up and gave Harry a fierce look.

"You're right. But, you're well on your way to beating me to that," Severus said.

"Better me than James. Besides, I'm not that good," Harry said with a shrug. "I'm not all that smart; the Dursleys told me every chance they could."

"Trust me, Harry. When we were working on potions this summer, you showed promise and talent. I'm certain you get your brains from your mother," Severus said, glancing over at Lily, his cheeks flushing as he watched her talking to her friends. "These Dursleys sound like a bunch of clowns and if Petunia in the future is anything like she is now, then she's just jealous."

"Yeah, I can see why she'd be jealous. James is a prick but at least he doesn't look like a walrus, like Vernon and his fat son," Harry said, causing James to laugh. "Vernon looks like a walrus with a wig and his son is a pig! And they're stupid too."

What Harry didn't realise, was as he spoke about them, he squirmed uncomfortably and began rubbing his back or the pained look that had crossed his face. But Severus didn't miss it. He recognised that expression too well.

"Are you okay?" Severus asked. It was obvious Harry wasn't okay but it seemed polite to ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just don't understand how she grew up to hate magic _so_ much," Harry said, frowning. But what Harry actually wanted to know was why she had hated _him_ so much.

Severus was quiet for a few minutes, as though trying to find the right words to say. This was a question he had wanted to ask about his father and now, he finally figured out the right thing to say.

"Sometimes, jealousy can move you to some really dark places, Harry. That's why they call it the Green-Eyed Monster."

Later that night, Harry and Severus spent some time in the common room studying. Harry finally decided he was ready for bed at 9:30 and trudged upstairs to get ready for bed. Severus was about to go to bed when he spotted Harry's textbook still sitting on the couch; he knew Harry would be missing it and went upstairs to take the book to Harry. When he entered the first-year boys' dorm, he was horrified by what he saw.

Harry was sitting shirtless on the bed, putting on his pyjamas and almost all of the skin covering his back and chest was covered in scars and nearly healed bruises. Severus recognised the scars from being whipped and the bruises from various beatings. There were even a few hand and fist-shaped bruises.

When Harry spotted Severus standing there, he hastily threw on his shirt and looked at Severus like he was trying to come up with something to say other than the truth.

"Harry!" Severus gasped, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Severus, it's not what it looks like. I... fell!" Harry said, unable to believe someone had seen his scars and bruises. Nobody had ever seen them before and he wasn't sure what to say.

"Into a cage of vicious, rabid animals?" Severus asked knowing perfectly well that Harry had not 'fallen'. Severus recognised those bruises and scars because he used to get them all the time when he used to 'fall'.

"Umm..."

"Your relatives did this to you," Severus said, making it clear that he knew it was the truth.

"You have to understand, I deserved it," Harry said, looking at Severus with pleading eyes. "I made freaky things happen and I took food from Dudley's mouth and I..."

"I don't care what you did, Harry! Nothing justifies treatment like this! It's abuse and it's wrong. Do you think I deserve such treatment for making freaky things happen?" Severus said, giving Harry a stern look.

"Of course not! But I'm a..."

"Don't say it! You are not a freak! Do you hear me? You are _not_ a freak!" Severus said, sitting beside Harry and looking at the welts that were still healing. Some of them were actually looked infected and Severus knew he'd have to get Harry to the Hospital Wing before the boy got sick.

"Harry, these need to be treated! They're infected. You could get really sick if you don't get these looked at," Severus said, as he looked at a particularly nasty welt just under Harry's shoulders.

"But they'll ask questions and I'll..."

"It will be fine. Madam Pomfrey knows where you came from; how else do you think we got nutrient potions for you?" Severus asked, knowing the potions had to be specifically made in order to work and Madam Pomfrey had to be told exactly _where_ Harry had come from so she could know why she couldn't push an investigation like she was supposed to when it came to dispensing these potions.

Harry watched Severus carefully with fear in his eyes; Harry wasn't used to having someone worry about him and he wasn't sure how to react. Harry didn't want his other classmates to know about _this._

"If you want, we can tell them you are getting your vaccination update because I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will want to take care of that while we're there anyway," Severus said in an encouraging tone, having figured out Harry's reason for hesitating.

After a few more seconds of Harry looking into Severus' eyes to find the boys motives, Harry finally sighed and agreed to get his scars looked at.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm not going to go into too much detail with the actual quidditch match because the match itself isn't important to the plot; the interaction between James and Harry is the main thing.**

 **I also want to point out that characters birth information and years at Hogwarts are based around those from Pottermore. I'm doing this in an attempt to keep things as accurate as possible. If you have any questions or notice a lack of consistency or something that doesn't line up with the original plot, please feel free to let me know so I can either correct it or state whether or not such change was intentional. There are some changes that I have made intentionally for the sake of the plot.**

 **I also wanted to state that for now, I will not be pairing Harry up with anyone because he's eleven right now and I feel he's got too much on his plate without worrying about dating.**

* * *

As Severus promised, Harry's wounds were treated without too many questions and Harry couldn't believe how much better his back felt now that his clothes didn't stick painfully to his back. Harry was shocked to discover that his back had been healed with almost no scarring and it brought a smile to Harry's face to see the last evidence of the Dursleys disappear from his back. Harry sagged in relief as the persistent stinging and burning faded into blissful numbness; Harry knew he'd actually get to sleep tonight.

"Feeling better?" Severus asked as he watched the ugly marks fade and disappear. Severus and Harry were making their way back to the Slytherin common room from the hospital wing. The two had been walking in silence for a little while, neither boy was sure what to say to each other. Harry was enjoying the way his shirt wasn't sticking painfully to the sensitive flesh on his back. Harry still couldn't believe how smooth his skin felt against his shirt. It would be nice to not dread getting dressed in the morning, or waking up early just to get dressed or shower so nobody would see his injuries.

Severus and Harry were making their way back to the Slytherin common room from the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had been shocked to see Harry's back and chest in such condition; it had taken an hour to heal everything and Harry was tired from the treatments and staying up so late. Madam Pomfrey had given them a note to explain why they were out past curfew and sent them back to their common room.

"Yes! I didn't know it was possible for my skin not to hurt," Harry sighed. There wasn't much point trying to hide the truth from Severus since clearly, he was able to figure out what had happened. It would be pointless to make it sound like the injuries were a one-time occurrence because of how old some of the welts looked much older than others.

The details that had bothered Severus the most was Harry's more serious past injuries; concussions, poorly healed broken bones and a long history of malnourishment. Harry could hear him muttering under his breath about Petunia and Harry decided he would have to remind him that she hasn't done anything wrong _yet_ and how pointless it would be to plot revenge against her new.

"I can imagine but why didn't you say anything?" Severus said, unsure what Harry would have had to fear by revealing the abuse here. It's not like his relatives could or would do anything to him here. They didn't even know who he was and even if they did, they were only kids who couldn't really do anything to him anyway. Severus didn't like the idea that Harry had been in pain for so long without saying anything and wished he had have known so something could have been done sooner.

"I was so used to never telling anyone that I didn't think to tell anyone. I'm sorry," Harry said, frowning as he thought about how upset Severus might be that Harry hadn't trusted him with something like this. The older boy didn't look angry, just conflicted; like he was trying to figure out what to say next.

"I understand but you should know that you should never remain quiet about something like this. If anyone mistreats you, you need to tell someone right away," Severus said with a strong and passionate tone. "My father used to mistreat me quite similarly and I regret not telling someone before he left because then I wouldn't have had to put up with it for so long."

"They always told me that nobody would believe me," Harry said, realising that they had only said that to keep him from trying. Harry wondered what would have actually happened if he had gone to someone for help.

Would Harry have had to stay with the Dursleys? Would he have been sent to a new home with people who actually cared and wanted him? Would the Dursleys have gotten into trouble? Perhaps Dudley would have been sent to parents who would actually teach him right from wrong. Harry wondered what Dudley would be like if he wasn't spoiled rotten.

"My father said the same thing and I believed him but now I know better," Severus said. "And I'm sure, one day, you will too."

Harry stared at Severus confused for a few seconds.

"At least I don't have to go back to their care. Are you sure your mum is okay with me staying with you over summer holidays? I know taking in an extra child is expensive; my relatives told me how much I cost them every chance they could. I don't want to be a bother."

"Don't you worry about that. We can afford to care for one extra child. My mother wouldn't have offered if we couldn't," Severus told Harry with a small smirk. "Besides, we snakes need to look out for each other. You do know the way your relatives spoke to you and treated you was wrong, don't you?"

Harry nodded and looked into Severus' eyes. The boy clearly knew what he was talking about and Harry could tell by the way he spoke that he was speaking from experience.

"I know that it was wrong, I just wish I had done something about it so I didn't have to live like that," Harry said, watching as Severus' carefully help expression cracked and revealed an emotion that Harry could relate to.

"So do I, Harry. I had reported my father last year when Madam Pomfrey noticed my injuries. My father ran away before the trial and before he could be punished. He was a coward," Severus said, finally feeling comfortable enough with Harry to reveal this part of his past.

"Isn't anyone who hits a child a coward?" Harry asked.

Later that evening, as Harry lay in his bed, he realised that he no longer believed a single word the Dursleys had ever said to him and for the first time in his life, Harry felt truly free.

* * *

The next two weeks went by quickly and Harry found himself in a familiar routine of going to class, studying with Alex and Severus and secretly practising Quidditch. It was a nice routine and Harry found himself doing really well in his classes and improving on the broom as well. Severus had told Harry that his marks were at around the same as his had been during his first year.

Harry wanted to say that it was no big deal but the other first-years asking him questions after certain classes told him otherwise. For the first time, Harry felt proud of himself because he was allowed to do his best in classes and wasn't punished for it. It was nice not having to play dumb in class and for once, Harry got to see how smart he actually was.

The first Quidditch match was the next day and Harry felt like he was ready but still quite nervous.

"What if I lose?" Harry asked Severus. Harry didn't want to let down Slytherin by losing, especially to Gryffindor. The last thing that house needed was a boost to their ever-growing ego. Harry wondered how the Gryffindors fit their monster-sized egos through to doors. Maybe that was why the doors were all so large.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. You've been training hard and Michael says you catch caught the snitch five times in one evening!" Severus told Harry who was lounging in the common room before he went to bed.

"Besides, it's your first match, putting too much pressure on yourself won't help," Alex said. "Just relax and go into the same frame of mind you use when training. Ignore the audience, ignore the other players and just focus on the snitch."

* * *

As Harry warmed up with the Slytherin team before the match, the seventh-year keeper Narcissa Black approached Harry with a serious look on her face. Harry tensed nervously as he tried to figure out what she might want. Narcissa had a reputation for being a bit scary when she wanted to be and Harry did not want to wind up on her bad side.

"I heard good things about you kid. I hope you lead us to victory," she said as she mounted her broom. Harry could hear the threat in what she was saying and it went without saying, that she was demanding victory. Harry gulped; as if he wasn't nervous enough without _this_ added pressure.

Harry followed her lead and waited to start the match. Harry could hear the Gryffindor team being announced and began doing deep breathing to bring his nerves down and keep himself braced for the rush of noise and adrenaline that was about to come. The last thing Harry needed to do was pass out in the middle of the match because he couldn't calm down.

When the Slytherin team was announced, Harry flew out with the rest of the team; the crowd went wild as they flew out in their green and silver quidditch robes. Slytherins all clapped while the Gryffindor house booed loudly.

Harry flew across the pitch and stopped in front of James; just like he was supposed to. James gawked at Harry for a few seconds before regaining the ability to talk.

"What are you doing here? First-years don't play quidditch for their house teams," James demanded, his expression showing obvious intimidation. Harry smirked to himself and decided to take advantage of this.

"And yet, here I am. Are you afraid to loose to a first-year?" Harry taunted, watching as James' face turned pink with anger.

"Don't think I'll be going easy on you just because you're younger," James sneered as Madam Hooch blew her whistle. Harry rolled his eyes at James' attempt to get under Harry's skin. He wondered if James actually thought that was intimidating.

Following Alex's advice really helped. Harry managed to ignore James constantly bumping into him and the various cries from the audience and was able to catch the snitch in fifteen minutes. The Slytherin house went completely wild in the stands as Harry held up the snitch and flew proudly around the pitch. James Potter glared at Harry with a look of anger. Harry simply waved at James, whose face reddened before he turned around and stomped off the Quidditch pitch.

Later that evening, in the Slytherin common room, Narcissa informed Harry that he had broken a school record today.

"Up until today, the fastest catch was twenty minutes and you caught the snitch in fifteen!" Harry could see the thrill of a victory in her eyes and Harry was sure his face was showing the same emotions as the rest of the team. "Actually, it was my boyfriend who set the record last year."

Harry could tell that Narcissa had finally found an excuse to brag about her boyfriend, Lucius Malfoy, who had graduated the previous year and had already landed a high-end job within his family's firm. Narcissa was known for constantly bragging about how smart, talented and amazing he was.

"Man, Harry! First, you become Hogwarts youngest seeker and then you break a school record! You are on fire!" Alex said when he found Harry talking to Narcissa a few minutes later.

"He sure is! Keep playing like you did today and the house cup will be ours!" Narcissa said as she went to get some food.

"You were brilliant, Harry," Severus said as he approached Harry with a plate of food. "Mum said to make sure you eat a healthy meal after the match."

Harry took the food and followed Severus and Alex to one of the couches and sat down. Harry began eating the grilled chicken and veggies while he told Severus and Alex all about what James had said before the match.

"And you should have seen his face when he realised I had caught the snitch. I thought he was going to cry," Harry said, laughing as he once again remembered the look on James' face. He wondered briefly how the game would have gone if Harry hadn't sent himself back here. Would Gryffindor have won or would Slytherin have still crushed them like bugs.

"Hey, it's a good thing! It's about time somebody brought that boy's ego down a bit!. He was getting too full of himself," Severus said.


	9. Chapter 9

**What is about to happen is a key part of the story and is an event that will shape the rest of the story. This will become clear later.**

 **I wanted to thank everyone for their kind reviews and words of advice. I wanted to thank those who added my stories to their communities, I will do my best to update frequently.**

Christmas break came quickly and Harry was excited to spend Christmas in a home where he actually felt welcome and appreciated. It was something he had never experienced before and the idea left him feeling light and cheerful as he boarded the Hogwarts Express with Severus. The castle was covered in freshly fallen snow, making everything look like something off of a Christmas greeting card. The lake was frozen solid with a layer of snow on top of it.

Harry couldn't believe how much the snow seemed to transform the grounds and bring out the colours in the bricks, the trees and the little things you typically didn't notice otherwise. He felt it was a shame he didn't have a camera to capture the scene before him.

As the train pulled away, Harry could here kids oohing and ahhing as they watched Hagrid drag a massive Christmas tree towards the castle with ease. The tree should have taken at least three people to move but Hagrid seemed to have the strength of three or four men. He wondered how Hagrid came to be so large and strong; Harry found himself wondering if Hagrid was a giant. But did giants even exist?

"Harry? Come on, let's take a seat," Severus said, pulling him from his thoughts as he guided him towards a compartment.

"Are you sure your mum doesn't mind me coming back for Christmas? I can understand if she doesn't," Harry said, wanting to make sure that he wasn't being a bother or an inconvenience.

"She wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, she is actually excited to see you again. She has enjoyed your letters and has started referring to you as one of 'her boys'," Severus said smiling.

Harry found himself flushing at Severus' words. This is the first time that he's heard of a grown-up referring to him as 'their boy' in a positive way and he wasn't sure how to react to this. His heart fluttered at the idea of having a parental figure who actually wanted him around for something other than free labour and a punching bag. The idea brought a smile to Harry's face and he actually began envisioning Christmas and everything it would involve.

This would be the first year, that Harry could remember, that he'd be allowed to participate in Christmas celebrations and the idea actually left Harry squirming with excitement and for the first time, he could feel his Christmas spirit coming out.

Severus had told Harry about how they decorate the Christmas tree, do presents and the baking they do. Severus even told him about some of the spells Eileen would cast to make it appear like it was snowing in the living room. Harry couldn't wait to take part in everything Christmas had to offer. Just the idea of not being forced to cook the Christmas meal or clean up after Dudley's Christmas binge-eating was enough to make him want to dance with joy. But to be able to sit at the table and eat Christmas dinner with the family... That was something he never pictured he'd get to do in his lifetime.

As the train came to a stop, Harry stopped once again to marvel at how beautiful his surroundings were covered in snow and how everyone at the train station seemed to smile brightly and seemed to be radiating with joy and Christmas spirit. Overhead, he could hear Christmas carols playing for everyone to hear. In the distance, he could see trolleys full of various Christmas presents as people went to stay at friends and families places. The train station had a large Christmas tree set up near platform eight; it was spectacular and at least thirty feet tall.

"Harry! Severus!"

Harry turned around to find Eileen waving to them, with her arms outstretched for a hug. He found himself surprised when he was pulled into a tight hug and kissed just like Severus. His cheeks heated up as he still wasn't used to recieving hugs and kisses from a maternal figure but he welcomed the contact.

"Harry! You look so much healthier and you even put on some weight!" She gushed, regarding him as though he were her son and not just a boy she was stuck with for the summer. Harry could tell that she actually did care for him and that made him feel amazing. "And I hear you're both doing very well in your studies! I'm so proud of you."

The ride back to Cokeworth was uneventful. Harry was enjoyed staring out the car window and seeing all of the houses that were decorated for Christmas and seeing small children outside playing in the snow. He could see people on ladders stringing lights to their house, people carrying bags filled with food and presents and the occasional person dressed as Faster Christmas.

When they reached the house, Harry was amazed to find that there were lights already on the outside of the house. Severus seemed surprised as well.

"I wanted to get the outside of the house done before you came home so we could focus on the fun things instead. Mr Evans brought us a tree when they went to get their tree but don't worry, Sev, I haven't put a single decoration on," Eileen said as she caught Severus' face falling. "Let's get your trunks situated and then we can get some lunch."

The days leading up to Christmas was a lot of decorating. They decorated the tree, the living room, the lawn and the windows. They had decorations for the bedrooms, the hallways and even the bathroom.

Harry was astonished every time he entered the living room and saw the snow falling on top of the Christmas tree; Harry wished he knew the spell Eileen had cast but it was beautiful. The best part was, hewas allowed to participate. This meant he was allowed to eat the Christmas cookies, sing along with Christmas carols and even go out and buy Christmas presents with some pocket change Eileen had given him. He wasn't even punished when he knocked over the icing sugar.

* * *

Come Christmas morning, Harry woke to find the house smelled like turkey and his stomach growled loudly at the smell reminding him how hungry he was. Harry wasn't surprised, Eileen said she like to get up really early on Christmas morning to start cooking. Harry greatly enjoyed the fact that he got to sleep in and wake up whenever he felt like it.

Harry made his way downstairs to grab some breakfast but he completely forgot about food and his stomach when he glanced inside the living room. There had only been a few presents under the tree when he went to bed the following night but now... he was unsure how all of the presents actually fit under the tree. The gifts were all wrapped so much neater than the gifts Harry had watched Dudley open as he grew up; maybe that was because magic was involved.

When Severus came downstairs, he and Harry quickly gulped down breakfast before returning to the living room to open presents.

If Harry hadn't been shocked enough by a number of presents under the tree, he was blown away by the fact that there were actually presents for him under the tree. Not just space fillers but actually presents. He had never received presents at the Dursleys, so to receive presents today, Harry was almost too excited to move.

He had received new clothes, books, a home potions kit and a wizarding chess set. Harry was also surprised to find that Eileen had bought him a new pair of glasses that were charmed to adapt to your eyes so you could see clearly. He was amazed by how clear everything was when he put them on; he had never gotten his eyes checked, so the glasses he wore didn't really do much besides preventing him from bumping into things and people as he walked.

"Thank you, Eileen!" Harry gasped, not expecting such an expensive present. This was more than he could have ever expected; of course, they could have given him socks and he could probably still say that it was more than he ever expected.

"It's no big deal. It's something you needed and I got it for you. But you are very welcome," Eileen said as she hugged Harry tightly.

* * *

On New Years Day, Harry and Severus went to Lily's house to give her her Christmas present. When Petunia answered the door, he was almost shocked to see her so young and yet her face still reminded him of a horse. When she saw Severus standing at the door, her expression twisted into a sneer Harry had seen too many times before. He figured Petunia would be smiling after spending the Christmas holidays in Paris with her grandparents; perhaps she didn't have any other mode besides bitter and cold.

"Ugh!" Petunia groaned as she threw the door open wide enough for Harry and Severus to enter before she stomped angrily from the room. He could tell by her expression that she was clearly biting back insults that she wanted to dish out.

Later that evening, when they left Lily's house, Harry was able to think about how much his aunt hadn't changed over the years. She was every bit as bitter and cold in 1972 as she was in 1991 and he couldn't figure out why she was so cold and crude. Lily was so sweet and kind and Petunia was... Petunia.

"I'll meet you back at the house," Harry told Severus who gave him a questioning glance. "I just need some time to think."

Severus looked hesitant to leave but eventually did leave him to walk and be alone with his thoughts. Harry walked into the park and to a walking path in the woods he had discovered. If followed, the path led to a lake which reflected the moonlight perfectly.

Harry was so caught up in his thoughts, that he didn't notice the creature that was following closely behind him until he felt a sharp, piercing pain from his calf. He felt himself being yanked backwards in a manner that slammed him onto his belly so hard that he felt the air in his lungs all leave like a balloon that had been suddenly popped.

Harry flipped from his belly so he could see what had attacked him and found himself staring into the gold eyes of a strange dog-like creature. It was staring at him with ferocious eyes and he wondered what the _thing_ was going to do next. Harry had never seen such a vicious animal before; the look in its eyes was pure madness and animalistic rage and he couldn't figure out what he'd done to anger it.

It took a menacing step towards Harry and just as it was about to lunge at Harry again, a loud howling came from the other side of the woods. He watched amazed as the creature turned towards the howling and ran towards it. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he glanced at his ankle to find a deep bite mark that was bleeding quite heavily.

When Harry limped into Severus' house, Eileen's eyes widened with shock and worry.

"Harry, what happened?" Eileen asked as she rushed forward to help him to the couch. Harry tried to protest, muttering about not wanting to bleed on the couch.

"Forget about the couch! I'm concerned about your leg. What happened?" Eileen asked as she rolled up Harry's jeans to reveal the bite mark that was still bleeding heavily. She pulled out her wand and put a clotting spell on the wound and the bleeding immediately slowed down.

"Severus! I need bandages and a cut healing potion!" Eileen cried, examining the bite thoroughly.

"A dog bit me when I was on my way home," Harry said, thinking about how ugly the dog was and how he wasn't entirely sure 'dog' was the right word for it.

When Severus appeared in the living room, Harry heard him gasp at the site of his injury and rushed forward to help Eileen. Severus opened the potion and handed it to Eileen who rubbed it on the bite. Harry was surprised by how warm the potion was starting to feel and it was now tingling slightly.

"This potion should fight off any infections, including rabies if the dog was infected with that. I want you to take it easy on the train, tomorrow. No rough housing and try to keep your leg elevated," Eileen told Harry as she wrapped his leg with a thick bandage.

Harry wouldn't have been surprised in the slightest if that 'dog' had rabies; it looked far too... unnaturally angry to not be rabid. It hadn't just liked angry, it looked like it was out for blood!

"Don't you worry; this will be healed completely by lunchtime tomorrow," Eileen told Harry who nodded happily. Tomorrow, he was going back to Hogwarts and he did not want to deal with an injury. "You'll find that magic healing techniques are far more advanced than the muggle techniques. Now, go upstairs and get some rest young man."

"The couch..."

"Is not your concern right now. Severus, help him upstairs; I don't want him to put pressure on his leg right now," Eileen said as she waved her waved towards the couch and Harry gasped as the blood disappeared from the couch. He could only imagine how much easier his life with the Dursleys would have been if he had been able to clean like that. Harry knew they would have freaked out if they knew but he liked to believe that he wouldn't have been caught.

As Harry went upstairs to bed, he couldn't help thinking about how that dog was unlike anything him had ever seen before. The look in that beast's eyes would haunt him for a very long time. Everytime he closed his eyes, he saw those vicious eyes in the back of his mind and when he finally did get to sleep, they followed him into his dreams.

In the middle of the night, Harry was awakened in a cold sweat to the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. But there couldn't be wolves this close to civilization?

* * *

 **Like I said, this is a key point in the story; I have been planning this story for weeks. I hope you enjoy.**


	10. Chapter 10

**If you're still reading, awesome! I hope you understand that this isn't just another story where Harry becomes a werewolf and struggles with it. Yes, he was bitten by a werewolf but I'm focusing on what he does about it but it will _not_ be the main plot point; it was simply a required action for something later on that cannot happen if Harry is not a werewolf.**

 **Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for their kind reviews and I hope to have a new chapter up soon.**

There wasn't as much excitement about going back to Hogwarts as there had been in September. knew it was because there wasn't as much mystery about what would happen when he got there. He was excited to get back to school and start with his usual routine but today he just felt... Strange. His head ached and his leg felt sore.

Getting up that morning, Harry didn't get the chance to look at his leg because he had overslept and now he was rushing to gather his things so he could get to the train station in time. But even after he got up and for the first hour, he felt sluggish and tired. By the time Harry was fully awake and functioning, he was already on the Hogwarts express.

Harry and Severus were eating a couple chocolate cauldrons when he felt a pain from his calf and the bandage felt wet and sticky. Deciding to be polite, he excused himself saying he needed the toilet so he could examine the bite. But unfortunately the toilets were all taken, so Harry went into an empty compartment and rolled up his pant leg so he could take a look at the bite.

Eileen had given Harry some fresh bandages in case he needed them and he was extremely grateful that he had put them in his pants pocket and not his trunk before the wound was still bleeding. It wasn't bleeding as heavily as the previous night but it was still bleeding and he found this to be concerning.

"I just need a few minutes to... Oops, I'm sorry! Woah, what happened to you?"

Harry glanced up to find Remus Lupin staring at him with wide, concerned eyes. But it probably wasn't often you found someone bleeding profusely on the train and he could understand the concern. Ordinarily, he tried to hide these things but he was still a little bit too tired and feverish to be bothered. Besides, if he sent Remus away, he'd simply report his injury and Harry didn't feel like being hauled off to the Hospital Wing. If he was going to go to the Hospital Wing, it was going to be of his own accord.

"I got bitten last night by a _dog_ in the woods. I still can't understand why it's still bleeding. Severus' mum put something on it and said it should be cleared up by this afternoon but it hasn't even stopped bleeding," Harry said, noticing that Remus' already pale face had somehow turned paler and his expression was clouded with worry and concern.

"You say that as though you weren't sure it was a dog. What did it look like?" Remus asked as he looked closer at Harry's bite mark.

"Um, it was strange, it looked... I'm not sure but like it was part dog, part wolf and part... human? I'm guessing it was a breeding experiment gone horribly wrong," Harry said with a shrug remembering how ugly and odd looking that dog had been. When he didn't think it was possible for Remus' face to get paler, somehow it did.

"Can I take a look?" Remus asked, hesitantly as though he was worried he was overstepping a personal boundary. Harry shrugged, feeling to feverish to even try arguing with the older boy. Remus looked at the would and back to him with an unreadable expression.

"I don't think potions will heal this. Do you have any bandages in your cabin?"

When Harry pulled the bandages from his pocket, Remus smiled and began rebandaging his wound. It seemed like Remus was quite used to doing this because it was obvious he knew what he was doing.

"You know something about this? Why wouldn't potions work?" Harry asked, noting the grave expression on Remus' face. It was like Remus had really bad news to break to him and wasn't sure how to go about doing it. At a closer glance, he could see that Remus was tired and sickly looking; his skin was slightly pale and his eyes seemed to glow with exhaustion. Harry wondered briefly how he was even functioning.

"I'm not 100 percent sure but I think..."

"Harry! There you are! Is that still bleeding?" Severus asked, walking into the compartment, his eyes wide with concern and worry.

"Yeah, it is. Remus thinks he might know why," Harry said, indicating for Severus to sit down while Remus worked on his leg. The situation felt tense and awkward, especially since Remus and Severus weren't friends but at least Remus got on with Severus better than James or Sirius. Severus and Harry both turned Remus who walked over to the compartment door and closed it before he sat down to finish Harry's bandage.

"Do you trust Severus? Because what I'm about to tell you is potentially life changing," Remus watched Severus with a careful expression. Harry glanced over to Severus and knew that he trusted him with details about his relatives and where he was from and what happened to his parents. Severus had remained loyal and respectful in regards to everything Harry had told him and he did trust him.

"Okay, like I said, I am not 100 percent sure but it sounds like you may have been bitten by a werewolf, Harry," Remus said the last part in a rush like he was just trying to get the words out of his mouth before he could change his mind. He seemed nervous about sharing this theory and Harry could understand why.

When Harry looked over to Severus, he was surprised to find that the boy wore a calculating expression and glanced periodically at Harry with more worry and concern than he had the previous night when he had seen his leg still raw and bleeding heavily on the couch. As crazy as the notion was, it seemed almost logical but was Harry ready to believe in the existence of werewolves?

"Last night was the full moon," Severus drawled out, staring at Harry as though he had an answer to whatever question was going through his mind.

"Werewolves actually exist?" Was all Harry was able to say because his mind had gone completely blank for a few seconds and for the first time felt every bit as dumb as the Dursleys told him he was.

"Yes but I don't know for sure. There really is only one way to know for sure and that is if you turn into a werewolf on the next full moon," Remus said slowly, watching Harry with a grave expression. Harry looked over to Severus, expecting to find some time of verification that Remus was joking or at the very least playing a cruel joke but there was no such expression.

"But... I... Why?" Harry stuttered, hating himself for not being able to say anything coherently but his mind was reeling at this possibility and the logical part of his brain was trying to dismiss the notion altogether.

"Look, Harry; it will be fine. I'm sure we can deal with this," Severus said, watching Harry with concern. "How do you feel?"

"Kind of...achy, sore and tired," Harry said, wondering what this had to with anything but when Severus and Remus shared a worried glance, Harry knew it was probably important. Harry looked between them, his heart starting to race with worry and fear.

"Hmm, you should get checked over by Madam Pomfrey later this evening. Werewolf bites do have that effect and if it is a werewolf bite you'll notice more symptoms as time goes by," Remus said, leaving Harry to wonder how he knew so much about the topic. His raised his eyebrow at Remus with a questioning expression and received a nervous smile. Severus must have caught his questioning glance because he soon gave Remus a questioning glance.

"How do you know so much about this?" Harry asked; he was sure he knew the answer to the question but he needed a confirmation in case he was wrong in his assumption.

"I've been a werewolf since I was little. But please don't tell anyone," Remus said, watching Harry and Severus with pleading eyes.

"If you don't tell anyone about Harry, we won't tell anyone about you," Severus said, his voice calm and even despite the fact that he was still watching him with wide, worried eyes. He wondered if he looked as flushed as he felt, was he visibly pale and sweaty? "But how have you hidden this from everyone?"

"I have made arrangements with Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore to get safely out of the castle and to a safe place each month," Remus said, with a frown. It was clear he didn't like having to sneak out of the castle and Harry wondered why he had to leave the castle at all. Couldn't Remus just go to a private room?

"Safely? Are you dangerous when you turn?" Harry asked.

Remus explained to Harry what happens during the full moon and how out of control they become. To keep him in the shrieking shack they had to put Wolfsbane around the door. The plant weakened Remus enough that he couldn't get within a certain distance of the door without collapsing. Remus explained that it was best for everyone because werewolves were aggressive and violent when they turned and would rip harm even their closest friends in that state.

Harry listened carefully and tried not to express the fear he felt but he must not have been doing a good job because Remus stopped talking and gave Harry a sympathetic glance.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he said suddenly, bringing Harry out of his current train of thoughts. He didn't like feeling so out of control with his life. At least with the Dursleys, there were things he could do to make his life easier and bring down the chances of beating but there was nothing Harry could do about this. If he actually was becoming a werewolf, it would happen and nothing could be done to stop it or make it easier. "But you should go see Madam Pomfrey tonight. If I'm right about this, the bite could bring on high fever, trouble sleeping and other problems that can be treated."

Harry watched Remus with a careful expression; he was still hoping the older boys were going to burst out laughing and tell him they were joking. Because the idea of Severus and Remus coming up with such a scheming together seemed a lot more likely than what they were telling him. Unfortunately, it was obvious by the look in their eyes that this was not a joke.

"Yes, and you need to remember that we do not know for _sure_ that it was actually a werewolf that got you," Remus said, noting the eleven-year-old seemed to grow paler and paler by the second.

"How 'sure' are you?" Harry asked, watching as Remus squirmed uncomfortably for a few seconds before letting out a small sigh.

"Based on your description, I'm about 85 percent sure."

That was a higher number than Harry was expecting. That meant he was convinced it was a werewolf bite but didn't want to say 100 percent on the freak chance that it actually wasn't. Well, of all things to happen, this was certainly the scariest things to have happened to him. How was it possible for one child to have such bad luck? His parents' deaths, getting stuck with the Dursleys, getting stuck in the past and now _this?_ At this rate, Harry would be better off avoiding anything sharp, high and dangerous and maybe he will survive to the end of the year.

* * *

It was dark by the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. Instead of taking little boats over to the castle, all of the students were lead over to several carriages which seemed to move themselves towards the castle. The ride was actually quite peaceful and was a much-welcomed distraction. Remus had gone back to find his friends while telling them they could talk to him whenever either of them needed to. The invitation seemed sincere and Harry knew he'd be going to the older boy with questions in the near future.

"How are you doing? You haven't said a word since we got off the train?"

Severus' question was enough to pull Harry away from his thoughts of werewolves and other monsters. He had also begun thinking about other 'mythological' creatures that he'd been told didn't exist. Were there vampires? What about zombies, yetis and Santa Clause? So far the existence of magic, ghosts, and werewolves had been confirmed, so what else was true?

"I'm... fine."

Severus didn't seem convinced and raised his eyebrow to communicate to him that he wasn't buying it.

"I'm just trying to figure this out. It's a lot to deal with but you heard Remus; we aren't sure yet," Harry said with a sigh.

"Remus seemed pretty sure; I think we need to do some research and see what we can find about this," Severus said. Harry was intrigued with the idea of doing research on werewolves; if he could possibly become a werewolf, he wanted to know everything he could on the topic so he could deal with this.

The feast was wonderful but Harry didn't have much of an appetite and ended up eating very little food. Severus didn't even try to hide his concern as he watched the younger boy pick sadly at his food; he was simply too lost in thought to keep up the appearance that he was actually hungry.

When the feast was over, Harry and Severus made their way towards the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey cast several spells and gave Harry a few potions to slow down the bleeding and reduce any effects until the bite healed enough on its own.

Before Harry and Severus left the hospital wing, he remembered something he had asked Remus but hadn't been given an answer.

"Why won't potions heal the bite completely?"

Madam Pomfrey, who was tidying up the bed Harry had been lying on, glance up quickly shrugged.

"Because werewolf bites are cursed injuries and cursed injuries can't be healed with magic and potions. They have to heal on their own."

Suddenly, Harry knew that Remus' 85 percent had been a 100 percent in disguise; an attempt to keep Harry from freaking out more than he had already been.


	11. Chapter 11

The next few weeks brought with it several awkward meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore. These meetings involved lots of planning and preparing for the next full moon. There were a lot of little details that needed to be worked out. This included coming up with explanations for Harry's disappearance for the night and _where_ he was actually going to go for the first full moon.

Because they weren't _100 percent_ that Harry was going to turn, they didn't want to risk locking him in with Remus in case he didn't turn. But of course, this meant they had to come up with an alternative location for him to go. This was complicated because of how hard it was to find a somewhere for someone to safely shift into a werewolf without going _too_ far away from the castle.

"Trust me, the morning after, you will be thankful we kept you close to the school," Dumbledore said to Harry in a knowing tone. Apparently, the werewolf transformation was quite draining and Dumbledore was trying to spare Harry from having to travel too far after going through such a painful night.

On January ninth, Eileen sent some treats and gifts for Severus' birthday. Severus had been quite impressed with the new cauldron and both boys found the cauldron cakes inside to be hilarious.

Eileen had been informed of Harry's possible infliction and had replied almost immediately with a letter voicing concern for his well-being and what was going to be done to ensure his safety. It was the first time someone had expressed concern for how Harry was feeling and if he was safe and it made him feel happy to know someone cared enough to bother. If the Dursleys had have replied to such letter, it would be to tell Harry not to come home at all. Eileen had gone as far as to say that if a reply wasn't sent out within the next couple days, her next letter would be a howler.

Though he was unsure what a howler was, Harry could tell Dumbledore didn't want to receive one because of how fast he came up with a reply for her. It was odd to see Dumbledore appear nervous but Eileen was a force of nature when she wanted to be. Severus told him a few days later that Dumbledore was a little bit scared of the woman.

Between meetings with Dumbledore and doing his homework, Harry also spent time researching werewolves; he learned a lot about their nature and what he could come to expect within the next few months. The first few months as a werewolf brought on a lot of intense changes to the body. It would change the way his body processed food, his senses, and even his temperament during certain times of the lunar cycle. He could expect mood swings, changes in his sense of smell and sudden bursts of energy usually followed by crashes.

If that wasn't intimidating enough, it was obvious that the actual transformation would be painful; not that he hadn't figured that out for himself. Harry had trouble believing that the transformation from human to wolf would tickle but to see words like 'bones breaking' and 'screams of agony' did not bring a comforting feeling to Harry's mind. It was moments like this.

"How are you doing?" Remus asked, approaching Harry's table in the library quietly. He had just taken a brief break from his werewolf studies and was staring at a book about different elves when Remus came over. Harry had actually learned a lot about werewolves and how they functioned in society, the burdens placed on them and the difference between them and normal wizards. It was intriguing and terrifying at the same time.

"I'll survive," Harry said honestly, meeting Remus' eyes.

Harry hadn't given himself a lot of time to think about what was going to happen because he didn't think he could handle thinking about the changes in relation to himself. He was still going under the pretense that they weren't '100 percent' sure yet and it was that distinction that let him sleep at night.

"They found a place for you to go tomorrow. The owner of the Leaky Cauldron had a friend who's a werewolf and the basement is set up to accommodate a werewolf. Becuase I've been tutoring the owner's son, I was able to get the room for you. I spoke to Dumbledore and he's fine with it," Remus said, giving him an assuring smile. Harry struggled to return the smile, nervous butterflies had taken over his stomach; he hadn't realised the full moon was so close.

Harry struggled to return the smile, nervous butterflies had taken over his stomach; he hadn't realised the full moon was so close. He'd thrown himself into his studies and everything else he could to keep his mind occupied and he lost track of time completely. He mentally smacked himself on the head for not keeping better track of the days. If he actually _was_ a werewolf, mistakes like this could have terrible results.

"It helps if you take a hot shower beforehand; it relaxes the muscles and mind. It might help with the pain a little bit but most of the pain is bone-deep," Remus offered suddenly bringing Harry out of his thoughts.

"Hot shower; got it," he repeated, taking a mental note to take a hot shower around supper time tomorrow.

"Try not to panic and whatever you do; do not fight the change. It only makes it hurt more if you fight it. Just try to relax and let your body do what it's going to do," Remus said seriously. It was obvious he was speaking from experience and Harry was beyond thankful to receive such helpful advice.

"Will people notice we're missing?"

"Nah, if you tell them that you're not feeling well and are going to bed early, people think nothing of it. But, you'll come up with different excuses each time just to keep people from catching on that something is off."

After a few more hours speaking to Remus, Harry felt a little more relaxed about the next day. After all, he'd survived worse than this when he was a baby; it was going to take more than a werewolf bite to kill him.

* * *

Morning came much too quickly and despite the fear bubbling in Harry's stomach, he was hungry and restless. He wasn't certain what would happen if he actually ate because his stomach felt like an odd combination of nauseated and hungry. Unsure how the two managed to combine themselves, he ate a few pieces of dry toast and sipped some warm ginger tea.

Severus didn't bother trying to mask his concern as he watched the younger boy tensely pick at his food. It was obvious he was nervous; his pale, sweaty complexion gave him away but Severus knew there'd be nothing he could say or do to help besides simply being there.

When breakfast was over, Harry went the Slytherin common room and worked on homework until a few hours after lunch.

Finally deciding it was time to start getting ready, Harry made his way into the bathroom to shower. Upon catching a glimpse in the mirror it became clear that he was going to have no difficulty faking sick. His face was pale and clammy, and his eyes looked glossy.

But it probably had something to do with the fact that he had hardly slept that night and was exhausted. It didn't help that the one time he was about to fall asleep his roommate chose that moment to loudly get sick; of course, this would also make it easier for everyone to believe that he wasn't feeling well that evening. Both boys had decided to skip supper; Harry was too nervous to eat and Severus simply wanted to keep Harry company.

After showering and packing a change of clothes, Harry let Severus walk him down to Dumbledore's office where he'd be flooing to the Leaky Cauldron. It was nice having someone to keep his mind from drifting towards the dark and scary parts of his brain.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Dumbledore said, nodding in Severus' direction. The younger boy nodded and silently followed Dumbledore into the fireplace with a grim look on his face.

* * *

Unsure what to do for the rest of the night, Severus made his way to the library to study. Not only was he caught up on his homework but he was far ahead; not that he'd really be able to focus on work while he was so worried about his friend and what was happening to him. If Harry turned, he was going to be in pain and there'd be nothing anyone could do to make it better.

"Sev!"

Turning around, Severus found Lily smiling happily in his direction. He felt a large smile taking over his face; it didn't matter what was happening, being around Lily just seemed to make everything better and more cheerful.

"Lily! What are you doing this way?"

"The library is this way; where's Harry?" Lily asked, noticing that Harry wasn't anywhere in sight. Severus felt his worries for his friend returning; was Harry okay.

"He's not feeling well; he ate something that didn't agree with him."

Severus felt bad for lying to Lily but for now until they knew anything for sure, they had agreed to tell only those who absolutely needed to know.

"Oh no, I hope he hasn't caught the bug that has been going around lately. Stomach flues are tricky to deal with," Lily said, her face filled with concern for the younger boy.

"He'll be fine, I'm sure. He's in bed resting; the elves brought him some soup and crackers to eat and the last I saw, he was asleep." His attempts to comfort Lily seemed to work but he found himself wishing that his words were true. A simple upset stomach would be much easier to manage than what Harry was actually going through. Heck, projectile vomiting from one end of the common room to the other would probably be easier than what he was going through right now.

"Do you want to study for Slughorn's test on Monday?" Lily asked, watching Severus' expression with her wide green eyes. His face flushed bright red as they always did when Lily looked at him like this. She could have asked him if he wanted to run across the Great Hall in nothing but his underwear and he'd agree without hesitation. She had such power over him but he couldn't bring himself to even try to fight it.

"Sure, how did your potion from his last class turn out. My whistling jelly turned out fine, except it came out more potent than I had originally planned. It would probably keep someone whistling for and hour and a half instead of an hour like it was supposed to," he said with a shrug, unsure whether that was a good thing or not. Yes, he completed the assignment and made the potion better than instructed but it wasn't what the teacher had asked for. Slughorn wouldn't have had a problem with it but he wondered if any other potions master would have taken points of not.

"Hey, most of the class got the potion wrong completely. At least yours didn't blow up, melt your cauldron or send any students to the Hospital Wing."

"This is true," Severus agreed, laughing as he wondered how these things still managed to happen every class, despite the fact that they had been taking the class for a year and a half. It made him appreciate the fact that there was only a few years until NEWT level potions started and soon only those who were serious about potions would be in the class.

It wasn't until a few hours later when Severus was getting ready for bed, that he allowed himself to worry about Harry. It was obvious what had happened; if Harry hadn't turned into a werewolf, he would have been back at the school by now.

 **I will not be going into full detail about Harry's transformation because those details aren't really important to the story just yet. For now, it will just be a few minor details here and there. Of course, the plot will start to thicken now that things are in motion.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm sorry I haven't written in a few days, it's been really busy and I've had a lot going on lately. But things are looking good now and I finally have a few spare minutes to sit down and write which is much needed.**

 **I'm also stating that for the sake of this story, the Wolfsbane potion does not exist. Though I am fairly certain the potion did not exist when Severus was in Hogwarts, I am not 100 percent but even if it did exist, this is an AU story and for this plot, it doesn't exist yet.**

 **I'd also like to thank everyone for sticking around and giving such positive comments. I love hearing from you guys and seeing what you think of the story and what you think should happen. When I receive suggestions, I do my best to try and squeeze them into the story whenever I can and if I can't, I try to find ways to include those suggestions into other stories.**

 **I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon. Thanks for reading :D**

In the time Harry was recovering from his transformation, he started thinking about the things he read and had been told about the werewolf transformations. The idea that he had lost control of himself in such a manner was alarming for him. He did not like the feeling of being so out of control and he especially did not enjoy not being able to recall his memories from a whole night.

When he'd arrived back to the castle the next morning he was taken straight to the hospital wing where his injuries were healed. Remus had arrived about an hour before Harry did and was asleep while looking only a little better than him. But Remus' body was a little more used to these changes than his and his body didn't appear to be in shock from all of the changes.

By the time Harry made his way to the Slytherin common room, it was nearly noon and he was dead tired but his face was free of claw marks and bruises. He knew the only reason he was so pale was from sheer exhaustion that left him unable to tell how he actually managed to drag himself as far as his bed. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep before his face actually hit the pillow.

For the next couple days, Harry lounged in bed and rested. He didn't feel like doing much of anything and alternated between reading and sleeping. Severus brought his meals to him. By the time he was feeling well enough to go back to get out of bed, it was Monday and time to go back to class. It was moments like this that made him appreciate how far ahead in his homework assignments he was.

All during class, Harry got to thinking about everything he learned and his mind started coming up with a concept that if he was correct, it would change things for the better and all he had to do was test it out. At lunch time, he told Severus to meet him in the potions lab after classes and he went off to potions.

But his mind wasn't on what was happening in class; he was too busy thinking about all of the research he had been doing and what he was planning to try. Harry knew something like this hadn't been done before and if he was right, it was going to change things for a lot of people; lives would be made easier. But this would only happen if his theory was correct.

After potions class, Harry got permission from Slughorn to work in the potions lab for a few hours and the professor had no problem with this. After he pulled out the materials he had borrowed, stating he was going to be brewing an awakening potion; this was the only way he'd have been able to gain access to the Wolfsbane plant. He felt bad about lying but it was necessary for what he was doing or what he was trying to do. Severus would be another hour, so Harry quickly set to work with his experiment.

* * *

Making his way to the potions lab after transfiguration was exhausting and Severus couldn't wait to go take a long nap after he was done helping Harry with whatever he needed help with. He wasn't sure what Harry needed help with because the younger boy had been quite vague and mysterious when he asked him to meet in the potions lab.

The first thing he saw what he opened the door to the potions lab was Harry dragging a knife across his hand and blood dripping into a small dish.

"Harry! What are you doing?" Severus cried running towards Harry who was now wiping his bleeding hand with a small hand towel with a confused look crossing his face; until he realised why Severus was so upset.

"Don't worry. I just needed a little bit of my blood," Harry explained, pointed to the ingredients he had gathered before him. "Watch."

With a pair of tweezers, Harry took a wolfsbane leaf and dropped it into the little dish with his blood in it. Nothing happened immediately but soon different components in the blood began visibly responding and the blood dulled in color.

"If you look close enough, the werewolf component of the blood is neutralized. I just need to figure out how to stabilise it in a way that won't kill the drinker," Harry explained, showing Severus the mixture with a pair of magically enhanced glasses.

"What are you talking about?" Severus asked him with a confused look on his face, still concerned with Harry's bleeding hand.

"If it works, I think we can create a potion that will make werewolves less dangerous," Harry explained as he picked up several bits of parchment and threw them in his direction with a wide grin. "Remember when Remus said they line the door of the shrieking shack with wolfsbane because he can't leave. I want to great a potion that has a similar effect but keeps the wolf at peace enough that the person can keep their mind even in their wolf form."

Severus stared back at the little dish and back to Harry, his mind was reeling from everything he was hearing and questions immediately began flooding his mind.

"Do you have any ideas that could work? Most things that would bring the poison factor down might make it loose the effect you're looking for," Severus explained, staring at the little dish one more time before sitting down and reading Harry's notes more thoroughly. The ideas were good, the concepts were brilliant and the reasoning was sound. In theory, everything Harry had written should work but theory and practice were two different things.

"I'm going to attempt to make this for the next full moon and I want to test it out," Harry whispered excitedly. Severus wondered if this was a good idea, who knew how his body would actually react to such a potion. It was unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing? Is it a good idea to test it on yourself?"

"It's either me or Remus and personally, I'd rather test it on myself," Harry said, not wanting to put his new friend in too much danger. "I just need your help with actually making the potion. Between the two of us, we should be able to make this happen."

Severus looked back and forth between the notes and Harry before giving a loud sigh of defeat. The younger boy was going to do it with or without his help, so figured creating and testing such a potion alone wasn't a good idea. At least this way he could try and keep anything too bad from happening.

They spent the rest of the evening testing different components of Harry's potion and like Severus had assumed, everything was going together as it should; within the next couple days the potion would be completed and they would be able to test it properly.

Making their way back to the Slytherin common room, Harry started scratching at the cut on his hand where he had taken the blood. Severus made a note to give him some salve for that before he went to bed.

* * *

Classes were hard for Harry the next day, he wanted to work more on his potion but he had to focus on transfiguring a cotton ball into cotton candy. So far only Harry, Alex and a girl called Katy had succeeded. One boy was mumbling about why they had to make muggle sweets when there were better things they could be doing with their time; he was the only one who hadn't at least turned his cotton ball pink.

By the end of class, only four students had gotten cotton candy; three had given up and somehow a Gryffindor girl blew her cotton ball up. One Gryffindor boy had lost a few points for throwing his cotton balls out the window.

Since it was the last class of the day, Harry went back to the potions lab and worked for a little while until Severus found him. At first, he was confused as to why Severus was wearing pajamas until he realised it was nearly bedtime; he'd lost track of time and had missed supper. His stomach let out a loud growl to declare its frustration at being forgotten for such a long time. He hadn't even realised how hungry he was until he stopped focussing on the potion for the first time that evening.

As he stood up, his stomach let out a noise that resembled a whale's mating call causing Severus to chuckle lightly.

"I'm guessing you skipped supper."

Rolling his eyes, Harry nodded and rubbed his stomach, which was starting to feel emptier by the second.

"I have some biscuits left from mum's last package if you want them?" Severus said to Harry whose face lit up brightly at the offer. "You shouldn't focus so much on something that you miss dinner."

"I know, I just found something that was going in the right direction and I couldn't leave."

Severus looked thoughtful for a few seconds before he burst into laughter. Harry stared at him as though he had grown a second head.

"I'm sorry, it's just funny that you tell me I'm the youngest potions master in the world when you appear to be taking that record from me yourself," Severus said chuckling.

"I'm sorry..."

"I don't care, it's just funny when you think about it."

With a shrug Severus lead Harry towards the common room; neither said anything for a few minutes as they were both lost in thought.

Harry was thinking about the potion and what he could do to make it safer. He was nervous about the idea of testing it but it was something that would have to be done eventually and it would have to be him to do it. Afterall, who in their right mind would test out a potion created by an eleven-year-old that was created around a highly poisonous plant? It was obvious finding volunteers to test this potion would be impossible, especially since he only knew one other werewolf.

The next morning, Severus and Harry sat in the Great Hall watching as James made a couple attempts to strike up conversations with Lily Evans. Harry was torn conflicted in how he felt about the interaction; he was glad to see James being rejected so hard because he was too full of himself and worried for his own sake about what would happen if James and Lily somehow didn't end up together. It's not like he could go back to his time anyway.

After a few seconds, Lily finally rolled her eyes and stormed out of the Great Hall; she looked furious about something James had said. Even James' friends were staring at him with various looked of disbelief and anger. After receiving a few pointed glances from Sirius and Remus, James finally got a hint and dashed out after Lily. James had probably said something more conceited and egotistical than usual but Lily didn't just look annoyed, she looked really upset. Severus, who had been watching the exchange as well, glanced at Harry as though the younger boy somehow had answers about what had just happened.

"I hope everything is okay," Harry said, wondering if Lily was going to be okay.

Severus nodded in agreement, as he stared towards the Great Hall doors, his eyes wide with concern as they always were when he was given reason to believe anything was wrong with Lily. For the millionth time since arriving to the past, Harry found himself wondering exactly how Lily and James winded up together; how did Lily not wind up dating Severus Snape?


	13. Chapter 13

**I haven't updated in a while because we no longer have access to Wifi at work and I can no longer access writing software on my breaks. I'm going to try and figure something out but there aren't a lot of free writing software that don't require the internet.**

Time seemed to fly since the full moon; days slowly turned to weeks and before any of them were ready, the dreaded full moon was mere days away from making an appearance. Harry didn't think he could dread anything more than he dreaded his uncle's lessons but this took the cake because there was nothing he could do to stop this from happening. This was something that was going to happen no matter what he or anyone had to so about it and that somehow made it worse.

For Harry, being this busy was not new to him but this didn't mean he wasn't tired and irritable. Between classwork, homework, and quidditch, he barely made time to work on his potion. Without Severus' help, he would have never gotten as much done as he had. To be honest, he wasn't sure how he managed to do it all without breaking down completely. Of course, his time with his relatives probably had a lot to do with that; if he hadn't grown up under the circumstances he did, he would have never been able to stand this pressure.

As the full moon came closer, he could feel his patience fading a little bit every day and he wondered if this was normal. When he spoke with Remus, he noticed the older boy seemed a little more irritated, so he went with the assumption that this was normal with the lunar cycle. He felt like there was electricity coursing through his veins and regardless of how tired he felt, he always felt like he was pulsing energy.

Everything was vivid; his senses, his thoughts and his dreams all seemed to become more intense with every passing night. Food tasted stronger, and though he couldn't see clearly without his glasses, his vision somehow seemed more... intense. It was almost alarming how strongly he felt things like the carpet under his barefoot to the taste of a sweet bun.

Remus had proven himself as a good ally and person to confide in; it helped that Remus was able to relate to everything Harry was saying and give him advice to make this easier for him and that meant a lot to him to not have to go through this alone.

The best part of his week was when he read in the Daily Prophet that a werewolf had been caught near Severus' place and was being placed in an environment where he could learn to control his new impulses; Harry hoped it had been the werewolf that had bitten him. The next thing Harry noticed was the name Voldemort becoming more and more present within the paper. It spoke of his attacks on villages and the things he had done to the muggles and muggle-borns. Severus stared at Lily after reading the latest article, as though he was seeing her for the first time.

"Are you ready to take the potion?" Severus had asked Harry.

"The full moon is tomorrow, so I guess so. Slughorn says something like this will need time to settle into my system."

He left out the part where it would give him time to recover any unfortunate side effects that may come about before the moon actually rose because, with potions like this, it was hard to tell what could happen. Harry and Severus had spent hours testing the potion in his blood and it seemed to be doing what it was supposed to do but they wouldn't know for sure until he actually consumed it.

"It's too bad we can't cure it all together," Harry muttered.

"Take it one step at a time, Harry! Besides, the rewrites to your DNA post change would be fatal to reverse and it would be a painful death," Slughorn informed the small boy who paled, his face filling with disappointment. This was to be expected. Werewolves weren't known for having the easiest lives and Harry just wanted to be normal for once in his life. He finally found people he fit in with and now this was happening and it didn't seem fair.

"Let's get this over with... I've been serious enough for one night and I need to work on my giggling goo tonight. I've been waking in the middle of the night giggle and last night when Professor McGonagall was informing us about a particularly nasty incident in class and I burst into giggles! she wanted to rip my head off."

"Yeah, some of the older students were talking about that... By the way... what's a sadist?"

"Alright Harry, remember to drink all of it no matter how bad it tastes and I was you to let use know if you feel any discomfort at all," Slughorn said, ignoring Harry's question and focusing on what they were there to do. The dull grey potion sat on the table but just the sight of it caused his stomach to bubble nervously. Who knew what was going to happen when he drank this?

Taking a deep breath, Harry picked up the potion and gulped it down in one movement. At first, the only thing he registered was how bad it tasted... It tasted worse than the time Dudley made him suck on his sweaty sock. Heck, it made the sock seem like a treat.

For a few seconds, the taste lingered in his mouth before his stomach violently sent the potion flying to the ground. Severus and Slughorn barely had a chance to react but had somehow managed to avoid the mess.

"Harry?"

After a few seconds, Harry tried to speak but this merely resulted in food from lunch rushing out of his mouth. By the time words could actually come out of his mouth, he was almost too tired to speak but he knew if he didn't assure Severus and Slughorn that he was okay, he would be going straight to the hospital wing.

"I'm fine!" Harry gasped as he wiped the tears from his cheeks and slowly glanced up towards Severus' pale worried face.

"You should sit down," Slughorn instructed Harry. "That means the potion wasn't compatible. We'll need to stabilise it a little more before you try again."

* * *

The full moon passed and Harry and Severus set back to work with more eagerness than before as the potion did not work this time but it was clear they were close. For the first hour, he had kept his mind intact but after the first hour... But it wasn't exactly complete control. It was more like selective control over certain behaviours and the rest were out of his control.

He was close to figuring it out, he knew he was but there was something missing; something that would tie everything together and he couldn't shake the feeling that the answer was right in front of him. It was for this reason that he felt himself growing more and more frustrated.

Experiments were conducted, blood was drawn and analysed and Harry was starting to feel more like a living, breathing pin cushion than a person. He often joked with Severus about being surprised he had any blood left to test.

After several hours of staring at parchment and cauldrons, he found that his vision was blurring and he was feeling restless and antsy. He'd been staring at this parchment for two hours and he still couldn't figure out why the wolfsbane was reacting to the tarragon the way it was and how they could stop this reaction. It was obvious this was the reason he'd thrown up but both ingredients were needed for the potion and there was a way to make them work together it was...

Finally, Harry decided he needed to take a break before he got frustrated and destroyed everything because he was slowly losing his patience. Severus and Harry made their way to the Great Hall where they had a cup of tea and took a few moments to breathe and settle down. By the time Harry had calmed down enough to focus once again, it was seven o'clock and there were only a few hours until curfew.

In the classroom, Harry felt his stomach jump into his throat when he was Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter standing in the room looking at Harry's notes; the notes that not only stated that he was a werewolf but also stated information about Remus' infliction as well. Sirius and James were staring back and forth from the notes to each other while Peter was simply walking around nervously, rubbing his hands together in a creepy manner.

"Can I help you?" Severus said, startling James and Sirius from their thoughts and causing Peter to pale and run from the room like a child caught in the cookie jar; what a coward. Harry wondered how he managed to worm his way into Gryffindor because he was by no means brave. James and Sirius watched Peter run out, their faces were momentarily clouded by disbelief.

James and Sirius looked stunned and unable to form words for the first time since Harry had met them.

"I- I-umm, We were just leaving," James said stepping from the room, his expression was unreadable and Harry could have sworn he heard the older boys muttering apologies as they dashed down the corridors clumsily.

Over the next few weeks, between working and school, Harry found himself wondering if James, Sirius and Peter were going to tell anyone what they had discovered. As much as he wanted to convince himself that they hadn't figured it out, the glances they were giving them told him that they did but they didn't seem to be watching him with any type of malicious intents.

They weren't treating Remus any differently than usual and he seemed just as relaxed around them as usual. Hary had warned Remus that they had seen his notes but nothing appeared to have changed drastically. If anything, James and Sirius seemed to have changed a little bit. They seemed to act less conceited; it was actually refreshing to not see James wandering around like he owned the place.

* * *

When the next full moon came, the potion was nowhere near ready for consumption; this meant no trial this month.

On one hand it was a relief because how sick he'd gotten but on the other hand, it felt like a major setback and that wasn't sitting well with him. But it's not like Harry was on a deadline or like anyone was actually expecting this potion to be available soon, so nobody would missing it or wondering why it wasn't ready yet. Severus was saying how proud Harry should be of himself for achieving what he had already and so young.

Harry smiled and nodded; he knew he had accomplished a lot since he had gotten to Hogwarts and he was happy but he couldn't help but feel like he was stealing an important title away from Severus. He had mentioned this to Severus but the older boy didn't seem hurt by this; if anything he seemed proud of the younger boy who would make it just a little bit harder for others to catch up.

"I couldn't have done it without your help," Harry told Severus proudly. Severus had come up with just as many of the ideas and concepts as Harry and he was going to share the credit equally with Severus; it would only be fair.

Making their way to the Shrieking Shack, Remus told Harry how the Whomping Willow was added just for him so he'd had access to the shack during full moons.

Upon arriving at the shack, they set their bags down in the usual spot and got comfortable as the did the month before. There was at least an hour and a half until moonrise but Dumbledore had them leave early just to be safe.

A couple loud pops outside the shack caught their attention and their faces paled as two cruel looking men stumbled into the shack. They were wearing masks over their faces and long robes but through their masks, Harry could see pure evil in their eyes.

"Look, a couple young Hogwarts students. Won't our Lord be pleased!" The first one said as he grabbed Harry's shoulder. Harry could practically hear this man's teeth bearing together in a predatory grin.

"Yes, he will! This was almost too easy." The second one grabbed Remus' arm and his eyes seemed to glow with sick anticipation. These must be the Death Eaters Harry had heard about but what did they want with a couple Hogwarts students. Harry didn't get the chance to think anything else because a familiar tugging feeling took over and he knew they had just been apparated away from the shack.

"Did you two sneak away from the castle to be alone? To think, we were going to try and reel some students beyond the wards. Aren't we lucky that you two decided to be alone tonight of all nights; well, lucky for us!"

"They're a little young for that, you idiot!" The taller man cried smacking the other man over the head.

"Oh, and how old were you the first time you and Hale snuck away to _'be alone'_ as you phrased it?"

These must be the Death Eaters Harry had heard about but what did they want with a couple Hogwarts students. He wondered how these idiots were trusted with whatever mission they had been given because the Death Eaters _he'd_ been told about had been described as stealthy, brilliant and cunning. Perhaps they were sent on a mission just to shut them up; he wondered if their Lord was even expecting them to succeed because Harry couldn't see them being trusted to fetch coffee, let alone Hogwarts students.

"I hardly see how that's any of your concern now shut up before someone hears us, our Lord is waiting and you know how much he _loves_ to wait." It was clear their Lord enjoyed waiting about as much as Uncle Vernon _loved_ being put on a diet. "Now, if you boys are good maybe our Lord will let you live."

Harry didn't get the chance to think anything else because a familiar tugging feeling took over and he knew they had just been apparated away from the shack.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, I'm sorry for not updating in such a long time but things have been quite chaotic and my usual writing time can no longer happen since we lost internet access at work. But the good news is, this story is almost finished and I will be working on my other works and giving them endings as well.**

 **I hope you have enjoyed this story so far and if you get the chance to check out my other works, you won't be disappointed. If you're looking for another completed (for now) story to read, check out 'New Beginnings'. Warning, it does contain a mild slash not mentioned within the first chapter or summery as it was decided upon as the story progressed.**

Not long after Remus and Harry had left for the Shrieking Shack had the Dark Mark appeared over the Shrieking Shack and the staff at Hogwarts were beside themselves. Dumbledore had gone and checked out the site and found nothing but the boys' bags and a note instructing him to 'come alone if you want to see the boys alive'. No students were to know that Remus and Harry had been taken; which is why James was struggling to remain quiet after hearing his best mate was in trouble. But if he were to make a sound, he'd receive detention for the rest of the year.

"What are we going to do?" Professor McGonagall cried, obviously worried about the young boys.

"I believe that everything will work out and there's nothing we can do but wait."

James frowned, ordinarily when things like this happened, he went to Sirius, Remus and Peter but he couldn't tonight. Peter was too much of a coward to be of any help and Sirius was in the Hospital Wing after eating a candy that caused his tongue to swell up twice its usual size. If James hadn't decided to sneak into the Hospital Wing to see Sirius, he would have never known this was happening.

James still couldn't believe that Dumbledore plan was to do _nothing_!

If James hadn't decided to sneak into the Hospital Wing to see Sirius, he would have never known this was happening. But sure enough, he'd found Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid talking in the hallway; actually, they were whispering but James' cloak helped him get close enough to hear everything they were saying. James was often referred to as 'nosey' but he simply stated that he 'preferred to be informed'. After all, people had a tendency to leave him in the dark a lot simply because he was young.

James made his way to the Great Hall, trying to think of something he could do. It was early evening and there were only a few students in the Great Hall; n was the best time to sit and have a snack before the food went away for the night. So many of the students were unaware of how much food was actually available between meals. He found Severus Snape sitting at the Slytherin table with a couple second-years and decided he would tell him what had happened.

He found Severus Snape sitting at the Slytherin table with a couple second-years and decided he would tell him what had happened. It was the right thing to do and maybe James could convince Sniv-Severus to help him. As James made his way to the Slytherin table, he could hear several Gryffindors whispering; obviously confused since they'd never seen James Potter go near the Slytherin table.

"Snape; mind stepping outside for a word?" James said, doing his best to state the question in a way that expressed no ill intents but clearly the approach along caused alarm for Severus because he raised an eyebrow and refused to move. James could hear the Great Hall fall into total silence as everyone stopped to watch the exchange between the two boys.

"And why should I do that?"

"Because I need to tell you why Harry Potter might not be coming back in the morning."

That did not come out the way James had intended it too and he couldn't blame Severus one bit for the thoughts that undoubtedly were crossing his mind right now. Now Severus was probably thinking he had done something to intentionally hurt Harry; perhaps he should have sat down and decided what he was going to say before he said it.

"What did you do, Potter?" Severus said through clenched teeth as he stood up to look James in the eye.

"Look, I only know that Remus and Harry are missing and Death Eaters are involved; I had nothing to do with it. There was a note and Dumbledore isn't planning on doing anything! He said he'd leave it up to an _order._ What will that do?" James said, dragging Severus out of the Great Hall where he proceeded to repeat the conversation back to Severus and then for the first time Severus Snape and James Potter sat together and came up with a plan involving James' invisibility cloak.

* * *

Masks, everyone was wearing marks; except for one man who Harry recognised from Hogwarts a History.

The man who killed his parents.

Lord Voldemort. Except... he was different. He wasn't as... snake-like in his appearance. He was actually quite handsome compared to the version of Voldemort Harry was used to seeing and this left Harry wondering what would happen to alter his appearance.

"My Lord, we have returned with the students as requested and the note was left behind."

If Harry wasn't so scared, he would have found the look of shock on Voldemort's face amusing; he was right, their Lord had not been anticipating their success and surely not this quickly either. It seemed almost like Voldemort was unsure how to react to this but he quickly schooled his reaction.

"They had snuck off to be _alone_ in Hogsmeade, making it easier for us to find them."

Voldemort waved a hand and the two men instantly quieted and backed out of the room almost as quickly as their feet could carry them.

"Well, what do we have here! A Gryffindor and a _Slytherin!"_

Voldemort stated the word Slytherin with pride as he stared nostalgically at Harry's tie. The boys squirmed under the gaze and watched as Voldemort ran his hands through his hair.

"You are going to be helping me make a legacy for myself and if you boys play your cards right, I will let you fight by my side to rid the world of those not worthy," Voldemort said loudly. "Soon, no one will be able to destroy me and I will restore the magical community back to its former glory."

"What's going to happen?" Harry asked, not wanting to anger this man; he wanted to be alive when he was saved.

Voldemort looked upset at having been interrupted.

'You shouldn't have done that, foolish child. Didn't your parents teach you not to interrupt the Dark Lord!' A voice said from the shadows as a large snake slithered into the room and onto Voldemorts shoulders; vile creatures they are. 'I'm assuming your parents were muggles'

'My parents were magical; both of them!' Harry replied, unaware of why his response seemed to stun both Voldemort and his snake into silence.

"What's your name?" Voldemort asked after a few seconds. His anger seemed to have faded and he was glancing at Harry the way Dudley used to stare at a toy he was going to get.

"Harry Potter." Harry sputtered out, knowing the man would have ways of knowing if he lied. This was apparently a good answer because Voldemorts smile grew slightly upon hearing the Potter name.

"A Potter! That is a pure bloodline! Yes, I see it in your eyes! Well, Mr Potter, I am going to be creating 'Plan B' shall we say and Albus Dumbledore will be helping me move part of my soul into my companion here," Voldemort explained, suddenly more than happy to bring Harry in on his plans. Harry was sure it had to do with his 'pureblood' statis.

Harry was letting his mind drift when a muscle spasm caused him to hiss out in pain; the moon must have risen. Next, to him, he could feel Remus seizing up as well. Both boys ground their teeth and tried to remain as silent as possible because Voldemort had yet to notice anything as he was too busy talking about his plan to fool the old coot Dumbledore.

The last thing Harry saw before his mind went completely blank was the site of Voldemort noticing their transformation for the first time and a look of horror crossing his face as his 'companion' slithers out of the room with a bored expression on her face.

* * *

"What I'm saying is we should be able to track the time turner! They have tracers on them to keep them out of the wrong hands," Severus explained, hoping James wouldn't figure out just how he was related to Harry Potter. "Of course, this will only work if he was actually wearing the time turner."

Harry had stopped wearing the turner for about a week but he came to the realisation that he liked knowing where it was at all times so he could assure it's safely and had since started wearing it in his jeans pocket.

The two had already managed to sneak off the school grounds with the help of James' invisibility cloak with nothing but their wands and a map; all that was left to do was actually trace Harry and Remus' location.

Severus took out his wand and cast the spell he had discovered over the summer that tracked nearby time-turners. He never actually thought he would need it but now that he did, he was grateful he took the time to learn it. As Severus pointed his wand to the map he chanted the spell as clearly as it could but Scottish Gaelic was tricky to pronounce.

"Àireamh àm tuairnear" Severus chanted and soon a single spot started glowing on the map. "There is a rumour that you can use that spell to reveal people on a map. It'll bring up their names too."

Severus briefly wondered why he felt the need to tell Potter that but decided to focus on finding the destination that had shown up on the map.

"This isn't far from Hogsmeade! It shouldn't take long to get there at all," James exclaimed pointing to the glowing dot and sure enough, he was right.

As they walked, James began asking questions about why Harry had a time-turner at all. They were questions that didn't surprise Severus but they made him realise what a slip up he had just made and if he wasn't so worried, he would have tried to cover it up but instead chose to remain silent. Thankfully, the site of several people fleeing from a house was enough to catch distract the Gryffindor from his current line of questioning. They were running like their lives were in danger.

From inside, snarling and vicious growls reminded them that it was, in fact, the full moon. Severus grabbed James arm and pulled him backwards away from the door. He quickly threw up a ward to keep Remus and Harry confided into the house, much to James confusion.

"What are you doing, Severus? How are we supposed to get in now?" James demanded, getting ready to take the wards down.

"As much as I'd like to see you waltz in and get your face ripped off, I must insist you stay out here until at least the moon goes down," Severus said.

"The mo... They're werewolves..." James breathed, sounding not overly surprised. It left Severus wondering if he'd simply confirmed a suspicion for the Gryffindor's golden child.

From around the corner, Severus and James could see a few Death Eaters lingering nervously. They looked lost and almost torn between grief and relief.

"What do we do now? We have no protection. The Dark Lor..."

"You fool! The Dark Lord is dead now and it's your fault! You hand delivered him a couple of werewolves on the full moon!" The man screamed, smacking the other man over the head before storming off after some of the other Death Eaters; some of which were rushing so hastily that their masks were falling off, revealing their identities to a whole block of witnesses. A few of them had the brains to apparate away as soon as they reached the edge of the property but most didn't seem smart enough to come up with such a plan.

"They killed Voldermort?" James suddenly whispered to a stunned Severus.

"It appears so."

"What do we do now?" James asked, nervously; it was obvious this was not part of the plan. Severus turned towards the house and found that the screaming had stopped and all that was left was the sound of two snarling werewolves attempting to break through the wards and escape.

"Now, we wait."


	15. Chapter 15

The morning after the full moon seemed brutal; as usual Harry's whole body hurt and he was dizzy but for once in his life, Harry wished he could remember what happened because the room he was in was filled with blood and...His stomach was oddly bloated and he felt as though he'd eaten a bit too much. Did they eat someone?

It took several minutes for the events from the night before to hit him and when they did, Harry was confused; why was he alive? What had happened? Where was Voldemort and the rest of his followers? The amount of loyalty they showed last night was pathetic and told Harry a lot about just how 'devoted' they were to their 'lord'.

Harry's questions were cut short when he heard Remus groaning to his side. Remus was covered in about as much blood as Harry undoubtedly was and he seemed just as disorientated as Harry felt but somehow Remus didn't seem to be in as much physical pain as Harry. Of course, he'd been dealing with this a few years and was probably more resistant to the pain than Harry was.

"Harry?"

Harry quickly turned to face Remus and tried to figure what to say but Remus was too busy glancing around the room, his face becoming paler and paler by the second. He was quickly figuring out what had happened... Actually, he figured it out a few seconds after he woke up but he was looking around the room for proof that his speculations were false and found only confirmation of his theories instead.

"What happened?" Remus asked, rubbing his aching head.

Before Remus or Harry could speak, the door flew open with a crash that caused both boys to cradle their aching heads as the sound echoed painfully within their skulls.

"Oh, good job Potter!" Harry heard Severus growl. Harry glanced up trying to figure out what he'd done to earn that comment but the question died in his mouth when he saw James Potter standing beside Severus with a sheepish look on his face.

This made sense, Harry thought to himself, he was dreaming! Why else would James and Severus be doing anything together? They weren't glaring at each other nor were they insulting each other as much as usual. Either this was a vivid dream or a crazy hallucination.

"You're the one who suggested... nevermind! Harry, Remus; are you alright?"

Harry stared up at James and Severus, still unable to believe what he was seeing but his mind was still a little fuzzy from his transformation.

"What happened?" Harry asked staring between Severus and James for answers but the boys both seemed more concerned about for Harry and Remus' safety than they did answering Harry's questions and at that point, it might have been for the best because Harry's head hurt enough without hearing everything that had happened

* * *

By the time the Harry and Remus were settled back in at the Hogwarts infirmary, Remus, James and even Sirius had been informed everything about Harry. It turned out Sirius had some really helpful information about time travel situations like Harry's. They didn't happen often but when they did, the soul would grow in the new time until the point of conception, after this point, Harry would be reverted back to himself and would essentially be born and grow u a second time and he might even retain some of his memories from his 'past life' as he grew up.

"It happened my grandmother, she had two childhoods," Sirius explained to the group; Harry was sure he was enjoying the way Severus was watching him, for once, with interest and without the scowl that was usually on his face. "Actually, when she was originally born, she was born to a different father but because the timeline screwed up, she had a different father."

Harry frowned, he wondered how much he had changed his timeline; killing Voldemort alone was going to change things drastically but what else would it change. It would be nice knowing there was a chance he was going to be born without war or tragedy but what else would have changed?

"So, Harry? How does it feel to be the first Potter sorted into Slytherin?" James question brought the group of boys to a conversation that took the tense relationship between James and Severus and turned into something closer to friendship and soon, the Marauders were born. For the sake of keeping Remus and Harry company during transformations, James, Sirius and Severus became animagus... Not that it was completely necessary as Harry not only successfully created his wolfsbane potion but went on to perfect it in a way that altered the transformation until it was virtually painless and was recognised as a life-changing potion to anyone who underwent the painful transformation because they kept their minds completely.

As Harry finished his Hogwarts education, he completed more than most did in their adult lives. He created a life-altering potion and became the first second-year student to be invited to Slughorn's Slug Club.

Time moved forward and things changed; Harry chose to stay with the Snape family but he did spend time at the Potter household, much to the shock of James' family. Finally, one day in November of 1979, Harry found himself fading away and he knew he was leaving. He had time to hug Eileen goodbye but Severus was out at the time and had been away for a couple days with work. Harry knew Eileen would pass the message to Severus but before Harry knew it, he was gone to his new life but he knew he would see them all again one day...

* * *

1 September 1990- Platform 9 3/4

Harry had been up all night getting ready for his first night at Hogwarts. He'd even tried to trick his parents into telling him how he was going to be sorted. His mum found this particularly amusing for some reason and told him it simply brought back fond memories from when she was young. Harry shrugged and let the statement go, he was much too excited about going to Hogwarts.

As Harry and his mum crossed the barrier, he was filled with a feeling a deja vu but quickly dismissed it as the excitement of seeing the train before him brought the excited bubbles back to his belly.

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes mum," Harry said rolling his eyes, just wanting to run forward and get on the train.

"Harry James Snape! You don't roll your eyes at your mother!" His father said as he stepped through the barrier. Anyone who didn't know his father would have been terrified by the tone but Harry was able to detect the joking tone in his father's voice. Perhaps that was how he was known as the terrifying potions master. His mum was also heading to Hogwarts this year as they were taking on a second nurse at Hogwarts. It was apparently needed because of the massive baby boom that happened around the time Harry was born because once the war was declared over and people healed and felt comfortable, they seemed to all have as many kids as they could.

"You know he'd just excited, Sev!" Harry scrunched up his face as his parents shared a kiss.

"Gross!" Harry scrunched up his face as his parents shared a kiss.

"How do you think you got here?" This statement earned his father a light smack from his blushing red-headed wife.

"Grosser!" Harry exclaimed, earning him a playful swat from his dad.

"You be good on the train and don't eat too much junk food," Harry's dad told Harry as he helped him load his trunk onto the train.

As the train took off, Harry found himself sitting with his friends Ron Weasley, his father's godson Draco Malfoy and a cousin on his mum's side called Hermione Granger. His father's goddaughter Joy Potter would be starting Hogwarts the following term. He looked at his friends and to his parents and for some reason he couldn't help but think how familiar this all felt and it somehow left him feeling content. As more feelings of deja vu washed over him, he was also overwhelmed by a sense of belonging and how hay he was things had turned out the way they did.

His father had told him about his past and how he was originally Harry Potter and that made sense and explained some of his vivid dreams of being locked in a cupboard and called a freak. But his family was always there when he had those dreams and he knew they'd never happen and he knew he was exactly where he was meant to be.

* * *

 **What did you guys think? I'm going to be working on another story and I hope to have it up soon. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this story.**


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